The Guardian Angel
by JAYSEN
Summary: A coincidental new arrival in Naruto's life changes the course of his destiny, giving him hope and a family. Konoha should remember one thing : Even a guardian angel can become a devil if provoked. Naru/Saku pairing , OC/OC, Naru/Hina family, AU and OOC
1. In The Beginning

_**JAYSEN here with yet another fic. This was actually the first fic that I wrote down, but I had trouble with typing it out. Also, the OC in this one was my prototype for the other Ichigo incarnations.**_

_****UPDATE****_

_**I have been meaning to update and change a few things in this fic for some time now. I hope that this will add to your enjoyment.**_

_**KONOHA FOREST APRIL 12TH 2200 HRS**_

A young blond ran through the outer forests of Konoha with a large scroll across his back. The boy had very peculiar facial features to him : 3 whisker like markings on each cheek that made him look somewhat like a fox, spiky golden blond hair that defied gravity, and deep cerulean blue eyes. He stopped in a patch of forest that he deemed safe and started to read from the scroll, recalling the events with led up to this moment.

_**FLASHBACK : KONOHA ACADEMY 7 HOURS AGO**_

_He had just failed the graduation exam for the 3rd time. Naruto just sat at the swing in the academy courtyard, watching the rest of his classmates who passed get congradulated by happy parents and families while he sat alone, dejected. Within the throng of people he could hear them whisper : _

_"Good thing he failed." _

_"Yeah. Can you imagine the havoc HE would cause if he became a ninja?" _

_"I don't really want to think about it." _

_"Why didn't Sandaime-sama just kill that THING when he had the chance?" _

_Naruto winced with every comment, until he had enough. He ran up to his classroom to gather his things and go home, but was stopped. _

_"Mizuki-sensei? What's up? You need something?" He asked. _

_"As a matter of fact, yes.." Mizuki said as he told Naruto of a secret way to become a Genin, Steal the Forbidden Scroll and bring it to him. Naruto was so excited and desperate that he completely missed the cruel, evil smirk on Mizuki's face as he left._

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Naruto shrugged off the thoughts as he focused on reading the scroll. A short distance away, Iruka had been tailing the blond ever since he entered the forest.

"Dammit, Naruto! Why did you feel you had to do this?" He silently cursed. Suddenly, he saw a familiar patch of orange.

"Naruto!"

"Oh hey, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said casually, as if nothing was wrong.

"Naruto, why did you do this?" Iruka asked.

"Mizuki-sensei said that if I could steal this scroll and bring it to him, he'd make me a Genin." Naruto said.

Just then, Mizuki showed up. an argument ensued over who Naruto should give the scroll to that erupted into a battle. Mizuki got fed up and tried to kill Naruto with one of his large shuriken, but Iruka intercepted it by blocking it with his body, taking it in his back. Mizuki then proceeded to rant on and on about the Kyuubi. He then broke one of the strictest laws in the village : He told Naruto that he was the Kyuubi's container and a demon himself. Naruto never knew that HE was the Fox's prison. He just knew that everybody hated him for some strange reason. All he knew in his 12 years of life was pain, hatred, loneliness, and suffering.

He snapped out of his daze just in time to see Mizuki close in on Iruka to finish him off. In a burst of speed, Naruto intercepted him with a surprizingly powerful roundhouse kick to his jaw, sending the traitor careening into a tree. Mizuki looked up, completely stunned at what just happened, to see Naruto giving him an almost demonic glare that made him cringe.

"If you touch Iruka-sensei, **I'LL KILL YOU!"**Naruto shouted at the traitor.

Mizuki laughed maniacally. "YOU kill me? You stupid little demon brat! I'll kill you in one shot!" Mizuki screamed, insanity gleaming in his murderous eyes.

Naruto wasn't fazed by this at all, as he brought his fingers up in a cross-shaped hand seal, "_**KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"**_ He bellowed, as at least 500 Shadow Clones filled the area.

Mizuki looked around as a small army of Naruto's all glared at him as they yelled in unison. "What's the matter? Weren't you going to kill me? If you won't fight, then I will!"

The Naruto stampede rushed in and unleashed 12+ years of pain, anger, and abuse on Mizuki, leaving him in a bloody, mangled mess. After the unholy beatdown Naruto dished out, ANBU teams dropped in and declared that they heard everything, telling them to report to the Hokage immediately for debriefing on the situation.

_**HOKAGE TOWER 2330 HRS**_

Upon arriving at the tower, Sarutobi was debriefed on the situation. Naruto was credited with a A-rank mission for his capture of the traitor and the rank of Genin. Everything was going well, but came to an abrupt end as a black vortex tore into existence, spitting out a young man, a massive pile of strange weapons plus green crates that looked heavy, and a few corpses.

Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the vortex vanished without a trace. Upon closer inspection, Sarutobi noticed shaggy golden blond hair similar to Naruto's, with similar facial features, tall, decently built, wearing strange clothes. He wore pants with a camouflage pattern with leg pockets and pouches, a brown t-shirt with an armor vest over the top which had 4 holes in it in the chest area with multiple dings, dents and scorch marks, black boots and plated knuckle fingerless gloves.

Near where he lay, there was a tan colored backpack laying next to him with piles strange weapons scattered next to it. The young man staggered to his feet unsteadily as the ANBU guards drew their ninjato on him. For a brief second, Sarutobi saw deep blue cerulean eyes that spoke of extreme pain, as he crumpled to the floor in a heap, blood pooling from underneath him.

This alarmed Sarutobi as he rolled him over and removed the armor vest to see 4 small circular wounds that were bleeding badly.

"This isn't good. He's lost a lot of blood already and his vital signs are weak."

"Kitsune!" Sarutobi shouted to the nearest ANBU guard.

"Take him to the hospital at once! He won't last much longer, so hurry!" He ordered.

"At once Hokage-sama!" He snapped as he picked up the stranger and Shunshin'd to the hospital.

"The rest of you...take all of these strange objects and seal them up in scrolls. Give the bodies to the coroner and clean up the blood. Leave no traces of what just happened here tonight." He commanded

Naruto was the first to recover from shock in his usual fashion. "What the hell was that? Who the hell was that? What the hell is going on, Hokage-jii?" He yelled.

Sarutobi got him to quiet down with a stern glare as he determined how he'd handle this situation.

"Naruto, Iruka. What just happened here is now classified as a S-ranked secret. If the other major shinobi nations get wind of this, spies for all corners of the world will begin to flock here, sniffing around. Now, I want your word that you will keep silent about this, am I clear?" He finished, his gaze on them intensifying.

"Of course, Hokage-sama. You have my word." Iruka stated in all seriousness.

"Got it...old man." Naruto replied in a dead voice.

After both nin and the ANBU left his office, he sank down into his chair and lit his pipe. It was at times like this he really felt his old age catch up to him. He looked at the wall on the left of his desk where the pictures of Hokage's come and gone were, especially the last one. The Yondaime was fairly young, in his late twenties. He had very familiar golden blond hair, and deep blue eyes. The old Hokage smiled at the picture on the wall.

"Minato, you would be proud of your son. Dispite the treatment he has received, he continues to flourish, while keeping his sunny attitude and unbreakable resolve. He truly deserves to be a Konoha shinobi and I will expect great things from him, maybe even to surpass you. I see so much of you and Kushina in him, as well as Jiraiya."

Meanwhile, a certain perverted Toad Sannin sneezed, causing his cover to be blown. Sarutobi turned his thoughts to his strange young visitor and left for the Hospital.

_**KONOHA HOSPITAL, EMERGENCY O.R, APRIL 13TH 0045 HRS**_

The Kitsune-masked ANBU had delivered the blonde-haired young man to the hospital as ordered. The staff saw the dire condition he was in and immediately set to work, putting him on a gurney and wheeling him into an O.R. There, the medics spotted his four chest wounds. Using a scanning jutsu, they discovered that whatever made the wounds was still lodged inside, so they decided to extract the objects.

They were baffled by the small metal slugs that were lodged inside of their patients wounds, but that was soon overshadowed by his amazingly fast healing rate. The wounds began to heal on their own as soon as the metal slugs were removed.

Rin was on duty that night and assisted in the operation to save his life. _'He heals just like Naruto-kun...and he looks just like him, only older. What's going on here?'_ She wondered. She saw the Hokage walk into the O.R and needed to ask him something.

"Hokage-sama...Do you know what these metal sugs are? They were lodged inside of his wounds tracts, but as soon as we removed them, some sort of Auto Healing kicked in and the wounds began to close up on their own. They seemed to inhibit his healing somehow." Rin inquired. He just showed up with the sealing scrolls that contained all of the items that his strange young guest appeared with.

_'This is most peculiar...' _He thought as he turned to Rin.

"If you could, please keep me informed of his condition and when he wakes up." He asked of the brown-haired medic. She nodded and went about her duties.

_'His healing is truly remarkable...Only Naruto has ever healed like that, and even then, Naruto's is still somewhat slower. Just what in the world are you, my young friend?'_

_**NARUTO'S APARTMENT, APRIL 13TH 0730 HRS.**_

Morning broke over Hokage Mountain as signs of life started to show down in the streets of the village. Naruto slowly awoke, groggily rising to his feet and went to his bathroom to wash up and get ready for his big day. Naruto paused as he remembered all that he learned the previous night. He hadn't gotten much sleep due to learning that HE is the container for the dreaded Kyuubi no Kitsune. That was the reason that everyone hated him. Just knowing that fact didn't really bring him any comfort.

He then remembered the odd man that suddenly appeared in the Hokage's office. _'He looked like me...How?' _He wondered as he continued to prepare himself for his final day at the Academy.

_'I'm finally outta that place. It's about time...Another year in that...hellhole...would had driven me insane. At this point, I don't care whose team I'm on...'_ He said inwardly as he walked out his apartment door, enroute to the Academy.

_**KONOHA ACADEMY 0800 HRS**_

Naruto got to his classroom in time for the team assignments, due to Iruka showing up a little late. He got his customary glares and jests, but today he was lost in thought about what happened last night.

He got snapped out of his thoughts by Kiba sneering at him. "Hey dobe, what the hell are you doing here? Only the ones who passed should even be here."

Naruto's face turned into a frown. "Shut up, Kiba. I've got a lot on my mind right now and I don't have the patience for your bullshit." He growled out, sub-consciously channelling the Kyuubi's chakra with his rising anger, changing his eyes from their crystal blue to a blood red and a slight visible red aura surrounded him.

This wasn't normal for Naruto, who would have just retorted right back. It stunned Kiba and everybody else so much that they left him alone. This was something they had never seen from the supposed class fool. This time, the _'happy idiot'_ was really angry, more along the lines of furious.

He took his seat next to Sasuke Uchiha, the Rookie of the Year for his class. He noticed the difference, but paid it no mind, still seeing him as a inferior being.

Meanwhile, a pair of pale eyes watched him with worry. '_Naruto-kun, what's wrong? What happened to you?' _Hinata thought worriedly.

Sakura and Ino came rampaging into the room, arguing over who got to sit next to Sasuke. They noticed Naruto sitting in the seat next to him.

"Hey, Naruto! Move it!" Sakura yelled, but he ignored her, tuning her out. This only served to infuriate her even more.

"Dammit you dumb, stupid dobe! I said move!" She yelled, jerking Naruto from his seat down to the floor. Normally, he would have just been hurt, but not today.

For Naruto, enough was enough and he wasn't going to take it anymore. "What the hell was that for, dammit? What the hell did I ever do to you to deserve to be treated like I'm not even human? All you two EVER do is obsess over some emo asshole who doesn't even show a shred of interest in any of you! Don't you have any sense of pride? You're going to be ninja! At least act like it! This petty, one-sided obsession is only going to get someone else, or even worse, yourselves killed! I couldn't live with myself if that happened, especially I wind up stuck on a team with either of you!" He raged, causing the whole room to fall silent as a tomb.

"Hey, what the hell is your problem, dobe? Stop trying to act all cool like Sasuke-kun, you loser!" One of the fangirls yelled at him. He chuckled bitterly and tried to fight back his anger, but was fighting a losing battle on that front. His mask was perilously close to shattering.

"What, you think I like playing the fool? You think people can't change? If you think that, there's no hope for you, you blind fools. You all and that Uchiha-teme all deserve each other."

"Ha! You're just jealous of Sasuke-kun! A loser like you could never be as cool as him!"

Instead of a retort, Naruto started to laugh out loud, just as his 'mask' shattered.

"Me? Jealous of that emotionally retarded jackass? Hahahaha!" He laughed more, but it suddenly cut off, leaving him with a fierce scowl that looked out of place but that made it even more frightening, forcing more of his rage to the forefront. This made the room fall silent once took advantage of the stunned silence to calm down, then sighed.

"Forget it. You'll find out one day that the coolest person isn't always a GOOD person. But, hopefully you won't end up finding that out too late. If you still can't figure it out after that, then may God have mercy on you, because you won't get any from me." He said coldly while glaring right back at the crowd of fangirls who were out of his blood, moving to the back of the classroom.

The fangirls normally would have stomped a mudhole in his ass for that, but the way his eyes went red and slitted for a moment and a massive blast of killer intent that flooded the room told them that messing with him right now probably wouldn't be a smart idea.

However, Sakura and Ino stopped to ponder the blond's words. Normally, they would just pass it off as the rantings of the class idiot, but due to his disturbingly different attitude, it reminded them of something their mothers always told them. They simply took some other available seats and sat to think about it.

Sasuke fumed at the hidden meaning of the blond's cryptic warning. '_That stupid dobe! Who the hell does he think he is? Now two of my favorites are in doubt. I'll get you for this.' _He thought as Iruka finally walked in. He annonuced the teams, but couldn't help but notice that Naruto was oddly quiet. Sakura and Ino were, too. Neither one protested the team make up.

_' Where did that come from? I guess that even Naruto has a breaking point. But, his little speech...sounded more like a warning. I need to know...'_ "Hey, Ino..." Sakura called out, in a concerned voice.

Ino couldn't help but notice that in her friend-turned-rival's voice. "Y-yeah, Sakura?" She replied in a somewhat shakey voice.

"Y-you thinking about what Naruto said? You know about 'finding out too late'? Also, after so much time we've both spent in chasing after Sasuke, have either of us REALLY made any progress? I mean, it's like he doesn't even like girls or something. Look, all I'm saying is that something's just not right. Until I've figured this out, our rivalry is on hold, agreed?" Sakura said, with both worry and seriousness in her voice.

Ino looked for any signs of deception, but to her surprise and mounting worry, she found none. "Agreed. I just can't shake this nagging feeling I'm getting. When I looked at Naruto, his eyes showed more pain than I'd ever wish on anyone, but I also saw hope and warmth. When I look at Sasuke's eyes, all I see is a void, cold and dark. My clan specializes in this sort of thing, so hold up. I'm gonna poke around in their heads a bit. Watch my body for me."

_**"SHINTENSHIN NO JUTSU!"**_She called out silently, aiming at Sasuke.

_**SASUKE'S MINDSCAPE**_

Ino felt herself awaken inside of Sasuke's mind. She saw his eariler memories, mostly happy ones. His mother, father, and his older brother, they were all there. She also saw very little difference in Sasuke now as opposed to when he was younger. He mostly picked on Naruto, Chouji, and other kids he deemed losers. What had sickened her the most was when she saw a 7 year old Sasuke carve insulting words into a young Naruto's skin with a kunai. Naruto had done nothing wrong, but her 'crush' and some fellow clansmen had run him down, and beaten him.

However, what happened next would haunt her for the rest of her life. She saw an older Uchiha clansmen, in front of a smirking Sasuke and his father, RAPE a 8 year old Naruto. She nearly vomited as she felt Sasuke's disgusting glee from witnessing such an unspeakable act. Ino then stumbled across the memory of the Uchiha massacre and Itachi's last words to Sasuke.

_'This clan had grown more arrogant and decadent than I could stomach. They hungered for power too much and it cost them dearly. I left you alive as a reminder to never fall down that path again. I know what father did to the Uzumaki boy and that you WATCHED while it happened. I know that you and some others carved him up and beat him. You believe that you are so superior because you are an Uchiha. That line of thinking is rubbish.'_

Ino took what Itachi told him at face value. She knew he was trying to teach him something, but Sasuke got the wrong message, instead foucsing on revenge. He couldn't see that his clan was punished for all of the vile, cruel things they did to Naruto and others, apparently.

She also came across Sasuke's current thoughts, which were nearly as disturbing as what she saw before. That was kind of hard to match.

_'Hn...That stupid dobe. We should have just killed him while we had the chance. Now, two of my prime choices for breeding and pleasure stock are in doubt. This was all his fault!'_

Ino finally decided that she had seen and heard enough, and dispelled her jutsu before Sasuke noticed what was happening.

_**CLASSROOM : REAL WORLD**_

"So? What did you find?" Sakura asked.

"That... That bastard...He views us a 'breeding stock', and 'disposable' in his ambitions. He doesn't care about anybody but himself." Ino replied, barely containing her rage.

She told Sakura of the skin carving and all of the horrifying things that Sasuke and his clan had done to Naruto and that he wants Naruto dead, on top of the treatment he received from the majority of the village.

Sakura had run to the trashcan and proceeded to empty her stomach. She never imagined that ANYONE could be so cruel and take such perverse pleasure in it. The now ex-fangirl looked at Sasuke with an intense glare, her eyes filled with tears and rage.

Ino was now very scared of going into Naruto's mind, frightened of what kinds of horrors and nightmares lay in wait for her in there. She waited until he was distracted, steeled herself, and then fired off her mind switch. What she saw, she would never, ever forget.

_A/N: First chapter down. I hope that I didn't move too fast with everything. With Sakura's change of heart, she's not completely stupid and knew something was wrong, same with Ino. She also would know that Ino wouldn't lie about something so horrible. Even the two most die-hard fangirls were disgusted with him and will not want anything to do with him after this. And with the evil Sasuke and Uchiha clan, this serves a purpose later on. The Uchiha were plotting treason and they got dealt with as traitors should, but the council took it too far. Now, with the Uchiha clan almost completely wiped out, the village spoils Sasuke beyond repair and redemption, casing his over-inflated ego to balloon out of control, causing the attitude seen here. Sorry about the rant, I felt that I should explain my reasonings._

_JAYSEN, signing off._


	2. The Truth Revealed

_**This chapter will be a bit dark, but it sets the stage for what is to come. I needed Ino to see what was in Naruto's mind so that she would understand him and relay that to Sakura.**_

_*****UPDATE*****_

_**Made a change to the story to make things make more sense. ENJOY!**_

_**INSIDE NARUTO'S MINDSCAPE**_

Ino opened her eyes to see the interior on Naruto's mind : A drafty, dark sewer. She saw a light at the end of the tunnel, bit her lip and entered. She found that she was at the Academy courtyard with the sun beginning to set. On the swing, she saw a little blond boy sobbing his eyes out. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she went over to the boy to see what was wrong. The boy noticed her approach and quickly brought his hands to his face to shield himself.

"P-p-please, d-don't h-h-hurt me! I'll be a g-good boy! I-I promise! I'm not a monster!" The boy cried out as he backed against the tree the swing was suspended from.

Ino's heart broke when she saw and heard this. "Hey, now. I'm not going to hurt you. I just came to see if I could help." She said softly. The boy started to calm down, lowering his arms to reveal his face. _'It's Naruto! Wait, why am I surprised? This is his mind after all.'_

"I-Ino! Oh my god, don't hit me! Please don't! I'll never bother you or Sakura-chan ever again, just please don't hit me anymore!" Little Naruto screamed in terror as he ran away from her and backed against the wall of the courtyard.

Ino felt her heart shatter as she suddenly felt an agonizing pain shoot through her soul. What she felt was Naruto's pain, anguish, and fear. She realized that her and Sakura were always mean to him, and couldn't help but think that they traumatized him to an extent. She rushed over and enveloped little Naruto in the most comforting embrace she could manage, weeping and sobbing audibly.

"Oh my god...Naruto, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I want to try to make things right again, if you'll let me." She cried into his shoulder. He felt tears hit his face and chanced a look up. He saw Ino sobbing, crying, regretting what she'd done to him. He felt he could chance letting her in.

"I-Ino? Please, don't cry anymore. I-I forgive you. Please don't cry over me." He said softly, embracing her back.

_'Oh Naruto. I never knew you were so strong.'_ She mused. She also surmised that he just can't stand seeing people cry or be sad. So he pushes aside whatever pain that is in his heart and tries to cheer that person up.

_'You're the most incredibly selfless person I've ever known. I'm proud just to know you.'_

Ino spent the next few moments viewing his life while little Naruto was resting in her arms. She felt Naruto's pain as if it was her own, with every blow, stab, insult. She even saw something that nearly scarred her for life : Rape. A 7 years old BOY was raped by an Uchiha clansmen, and she threw up. Seeing it happen was horrible enough, but being connected to the victim like she was, was something far more horrible. It felt like she was raped as well. Some of the people she saw dishing out the horrifying abuse were people she knew very well. Some were even family friends and family members, people that she would no longer be able to look in the eye without disgust.

She bore witness to an 8 year old Naruto stagger into the hospital with his arm broken in two different ways and several gashes after a particularly nasty beating, only to be chased out by the very people that were supposed to help him. He appeared late the next morning bloody and dishevled. Ino saw a younger version of herself and Sakura making fun of him :

_Naruto limped into the classroom cradleing his right arm, only to hear the teacher berate him for being tardy and the class jeering at him. He tried to pick up his pencil to write down what the teacher was saying, but he was right handed and couldn't. He tried to ask Sakura for help, but she punched his arm, his broken arm, causing him to cry out in pain. The teacher yelled at him and made him stand in the hall and hold heavy buckets filled with sand. The entire time, Naruto's face was twisted and contorted in agony and pain, but never gave in._

Ino could feel the agonizing pain that he endured that day. The blonde kunoichi felt two inches tall after viewing and feeling the torture the supposed "dobe" endured on an almost daily basis. Next, she saw and felt a series of painful memories of Sakura's hurtful rejections, Sasuke's arrogance and brutal beatings, and her own verbal abuse.

The young blonde kunoichi's attention was drawn in another direction. This memory she knew quite well :

_It was their 3rd year in the academy and this year they would start learning actual Ninjutsu. The lesson for the day was the Henge no Jutsu. Iruka had called in sick that day and Mizuki had filled in. Naruto noticed this and glowered. Mizuki was one of the many teachers that hated him with a passion. _

_Mizuki explained the theory behind the jutsu and set the class to work. One by one, the class was called up in front of the class to transform into the Hokage. Naruto was called and he grudgingly got up to perform the Henge. He pulled it off and was replaced with a massively deformed Hokage. The class roared with laughter and jeers, while Mizuki had nothing but harsh words and disparaging remarks. no help or pointers at all._

_At the end of the day, the class was to study and tranform into a family member. He waited for the class to leave, then, not for the first time, Naruto cried alone._

Ino couldn't believe what she just saw. She knew that many of the teachers didn't like Naruto, but she never imagined that it was this bad. She could have swore she saw Mizuki give a nasty grin at Naruto's sadness, as if pouring salt on a still open wound on purpose.

_When Naruto got home, he made some ramen for dinner and went to his windowsill. On the sill, he had some potted plants, but they all looked like people had thrown them out or they were weeds. One in particular was a dandelion._

_"I don't think that Mizuki-sensei would like it if I Henge'd into one of you guys." He muttered sadly. Naruto resigned himself and stood in front of a large, full-body mirror that looked like it was also rescued from a trash heap, and set to work._

Ino heard all of Naruto's ideas and thoughts. She was stunned by how barren and shabby his tiny apartment was. She knew that he was a poor orphan, but this was just awful. It made her sick of herself and very grateful for her own family.

_His thoughts rambled on about his imaginary family. He couldn't quite get down how his mother should look, he turned to making a sister. He made one final attempt and after the smoke cleared, Naruto was face to face with a beautiful, buxom teenage girl with her long, golden blonde hair done up in twin pigtails. He stared at her in awe that she looked like him. She had the same shade of golden blonde hair he had, the same piercing sapphire blue eyes. He paid very little attention to her female parts and more attention to the fact that this is his sister, his family. _

_"Onee-chan..." He breathed out._

Ino was stunned by how beautiful the imaginary girl was. She would easily be one of the prettiest girls in the whole village if she were real. She watched as Naruto now went through various male appearances, trying to find one that looked like what he imagined his father would look like.

_Naruto had rifled through several different appearances, ubtil he came across one that lept out at him. This one was a tall man with the same untamed spiky blonde hair as him and the same fox-like eyes and grin. Naruto tried to wrap his "father's" arms around himself, but found only the feel of his own arms. Naruto had inadvertantly created the first ever SOLID Henge. But this discovery certainly didn't feel like a victory. Instead, he cried himself to sleep that night in defeat and despair._

Ino's eyes began to water. Naruto had, in a stroke of genius, tried a Chunnin chakra exercise in reverse. It was very dangerous to change your body with chakra but it was the work of a genius, and he had done it twice. But Naruto just wanted his "family" to feel real, to feel their warmth and actually touch them. Ino felt his despair and anguish.

_It was the next morning and Iruka was back. He asked them all to come up one by one and present their homework. Naruto watched in a silent rage._

_'That Mizuki-sensei...what a jerk...' He thought. He sat there and waited for his turn, then it finally came. 'Well, here goes...' He grimaced._

_He walked up to the front of the room and Iruka told him to have at it. He raised his hands into the Ram seal and called out the jutsu. Chakra could be seen, enveloping him like a layer of energy. He executed the jutsu and when the smoke cleared, the most beautiful girl any of them had ever seen stood before them in a very provacitive pose. Iruka's nose pumped out blood like a fire hose and he was blown back by the recoil. _

_Naruto changed back and laughed out loud, but his inner thoughts were quite different. He felt nothing but pride that his 'sister' got that great of a reaction. 'I knew she was pretty...too bad she never existed.' He thought sadly as a pained expression crossed his face. He completely tuned out Iruka's lecture and ignored the beating that the girls dished out._

Ino remembered that day. She thought that he was just being a pervert, but he was just showing them his 'family' as he saw them. She had to admit that she was jealous that his 'one-chan' actually made Sasuke blush, of all people. The fictional blonde bombshell was very beautiful and all Naruto saw was that she was his big sister and he was proud of her.

More visions passed before her eyes. She also saw a young Sasuke literally carving insulting words into Naruto's skin while some other Uchiha clansmen held the child down. The pain she felt nearly caused her to melt down. She felt so disgusted with herself for always treating him like a disease. She also realised just how fragile Naruto's heart really is, dispite how strong he seemed. She came across a particular memory of his which involved Sakura.

_A 7 year old Sakura was being pelted with rocks and mud pies by Ami and some older boys until a small blond boy rushed in to intercept the rocks, standing in front of Sakura like a human shield. He then rushed at them and a fight ensued. Naruto was horribly outnumbered, but he bravely stood his ground and was beaten into unconsciousness. He awoke to find a girl with bright pink hair sobbing into his chest. She noticed him wakeing up, so she stood back and let him get up. He jauntly hopped up and dusted himself off, just shrugging off the beatdown he just sustained for her._

_He stared into her emerald-green eyes with his own ocean-blue eyes._

_'Wow! She's really pretty!' He thought. She thought he was stareing at her forehead, so she turned around and started to cry again. Naruto looked on in worry. _

_"H-hey, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly. _

_"N-no! Don't look at me! You'll only laugh at my forehead!" She cried. He came around to face her, brushing her bangs away from her face. _

_"Why would I laugh? I think you're really pretty." He said softly with a slight blush. She wiped away her tears and blushed, no one ever told her that, especially not a boy. _

_"T-thank you..." She squeaked out, blushing even more. She managed to muster up a little more courage to speak to him. _

_"M-My name is Sakura Haruno. W-what's yours?" She asked shyly._

_The pink tinge on Naruto's whiskered cheeks became more pronounced. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki! Glad to meet you Sakura-chan!" He said happily. He proceeded to help her up and help her clean off the mud she was caked in. She wimpered that her mom would be mad that her shirt was ruined, so he gave her his own shirt, and gave her some privacy while she changed. _

_She giggled at his show of chivalry, thinking it cute. She walked over to her blue-eyed, blond knight. "Thank you so much for your kindness, Naruto-kun." She said softly, giving him a tight hug and a loving kiss on his cheek._

Ino smiled at the sweet and gentlemanly gesture Naruto made. _'Awww, that was so sweet! Was he always such a sweetheart? Why didn't I see this sooner? Oh yeah...because of Sasuke.'_ She thought to herself bitterly. _'I was such an idiot...'_

_Naruto stood there stunned, feeling his heart soar. Not only did this girl not yell and pick on him, she added a affectionate suffix on his name, even hugged and kissed him! He was so happy, barely able to hold back his tears of happiness. He returned the hug, feeling the love he had been deprived of for his entire life. He felt her snuggle into the embrace, taking in his warmth. _

_She pulled away gently, "Naruto-kun, will you be my friend?" She asked. _

_"Of course! I'd love to be your friend, Sakura-chan!" He said with glee._

_She held out her pinky. "Pinky promise that we'll be friends forever?" She asked. _

_He linked his pinky with hers and swore a vow to her. "I'll always be your friend. No matter what, you'll always have me. I'll never leave you or make you cry, Sakura-chan. It's the promise of a lifetime!" He said happily, meaning every bit of it._

_School let out and the two new friends walked hand in hand toward her house. Along the way, she asked him a pecuiliar question. "Naruto-kun, do you think that I'll be a flower someday?" _

_The boy looked puzzled until she clarified it for him. "O-oh. Well, in that case, I think you'll be a beautiful flower someday, Sakura-chan." He replied shyly, blushing an almost burning red. _

_They reached her house, she hugged him again and said that she'll see him tomorrow. On his way home, he thought about the question she asked him, then he had a brainstorm. _

_'I'll get her a flower! Yeah, a flower as pretty as her!' He thought excitedly, as he rushed home to dig out his hidden savings. He then rushed out to the nearest flower shop. _

_There, a kind woman with blond hair helped him pick out a flower for her, a pink Azaelia. She offered to just give it to him for making such a sweet gesture, but he insisted on paying for it fair and square. Seeing how little he had, she only charged him half and put it into a pretty box for him. He thanked her, then bolted for Sakura's house._

_He got to Sakura's house and knocked on the door. A woman with pale pink hair and green eyes, who Naruto could only assume to be her mom, answered the door. _

_"Oh! You must be Naruto-kun! Come in, child. Come in!" She said excitedly. She called for Sakura to come downstairs. As soon as she saw him, she launched herself at him, hugging him tightly. The older Haruno giggled at Naruto's flushed face. _

_"Naruto-kun, I'm so gald to see you! But why are you here?" She asked._

_Naruto pulled the box out from behind his back."S-Sa-Sakura-chan, h-here. This is for you." He stammered out, completely embarassed. _

_"Y-you got me a gift?" She squealed with glee as she opened the box to find a single pink Azaliea. "Oh, Naruto-kun! It's so beautiful!" She exclaimed. _

_She handed the flower and box to her mother, and once again clutched him tightly and giving him a deep, loving kiss on his whiskered cheek. _

_"Thank you so much, Naruto-kun. I love you." She said shyly, staring into his eyes._

_Naruto couldn't hold back his tears anymore. While sobbing, he choked out, "I love you too, Sakura-chan."_

_Her mother gazed upon the poor boy with sympathy and pity. She knew full well what this village had done to him and the way he was treated everyday of his life. She knew about the boy and his 'condition', but was still rather fond of him. She thought he was a sweet, kind boy, especially after what Sakura told her. _

_He took a few moments to compose himself. After he calmed down, he was invited to stay for dinner which he happily accecpted. He minded his manners and played with Sakura for a while but before going home, her mom insisted that she take a picture to commemorate this day. He then went home, knowing he had made his first real friend that day. Then, everyday for that week they played and hung out together._

Ino felt her blood freeze and her heart stop as she remembered this. She had been sick that week and couldn't come out. But when Sakura told her about Naruto, she berated her for associating with him, calling him a loser and a dobe. She also told Sakura that if she wanted to be liked, she had to be mean to him like everybody else and that she had to chase after Sasuke. This lead to the death of Sakura's short lived friendship with Naruto, completely shattering what was left of his already fragile heart.

Ino felt sick, because she was the one who broke up a potentially happy couple. If she'd only been supportive of her friendship with Naruto, then their own friendship might not have been wrecked, saving all of them alot of heartache. She couldn't believe they passed up someone as sweet and kind as Naruto for a total jerk like Sasuke. She wept even harder for being such a fool.

Ino felt an agonizing pain flow through her as another painful memory appeared before them, which made Ino go pale. This was the one she feared. The one she was so ashamed of. She was now faced with the aftermath of one of her greatest sins.

_Naruto had spotted Sakura a few days later near a fountain in the park._

_"Hi, Sakura-chan!" He called out happily. However, her reaction was less that enthusiastic._

_"What do you what, Naruto?" The rosette asked coldly._

_Naruto was taken aback by his friend's sudden change in demeanor, but he didn't let it show. _

_"Hey, um, I was wondering if you wanted to play with me today?" He asked hopefully._

_Ino turned to him and laughed in his face. "Why would Sakura, let alone anyone, want to play with a idiot like you?" She sneered. The other two girls who were with them started to jeer and laugh at him, too._

_"Go away, Naruto! Just go and play by yourself!" She yelled at him._

_This broke Naruto's already fragile heart, as he started to lose his valiant fight against his tears. "B-but...I-I thought you were my friend...You said that you l-loved m-me..." He stuttered out._

_The girls all stared at him for a moment as if he grew another head, but laughed at him again, Sakura included._

_"Why would I waste my time with an idiot loser like you? You're nothing but an annoying little freak!" She shouted at him as she shoved the stunned Naruto into an mud puddle. The rest of the girls picked up mud pies and rocks and began to pelt the poor blonde, who just lay there crying his eyes out._

_A scant minute later, Sasuke Uchiha was walking by and the girls all crowded around him. The dark-eyed boy smirked down at Naruto for a moment, then proceeded to kick and stomp the defenseless boy. After he stopped, the girls all left Naruto there in the mud, forgotten and heartbroken. _

_"S-S-Sakura-chan..." He sobbed out. After he scraped himself up, he limped home to his empty, lonely apartment._

Little Naruto looked sadly on the scene in front of him. "She granted my greatest wish...I wanted to feel loved, if only for a moment. But a week later, she treated me like I was a disease. It was so sudden, but that only made it hurt worse. But, I made a promise to her. That I'd always be there for her, no matter what happens to me..." He trailed off, more tears rolling off of his cheeks and a fresh wave of heartbreaking sorrow washed over Ino.

The blonde mindwalker felt her own heart shatter all over again as she was faced with her own cruelty. She clutched the small blonde for dear life, begging for forgivness for what she had caused. "This...this was all my fault..."

Ino also saw more recent memories, all leading up to a few moments ago. She saw all of Naruto's thoughts and felt what he felt. She saw the happy times he spent with the Sandaime of all people, the people at a ramen stand he always goes to because no other place in the village would let him in. She also saw, unfortunately, the birthday beatings he received and how he became a genin.

When he delivered his warning, he was genuinely concerned and worried. No matter how mean or cruel a person may have been to him, he would never wish his life or pain on anyone. She knew now that Naruto was the single most selfless person she would ever know.

Suddenly, she felt an intense spike in chakra, but it wasn't Naruto's. It felt far, far more powerful. She and Little Naruto found themselves in front of a giant cage with a seal tag on it. She then saw and learned the deepest, darkest secret there was to her fellow blond. In the cage, she saw a gigantic animal that looked like a fox with nine tails...WAIT! NINE TAILS? GIANT FOX?

"N-no... I-it can't be...Kyuubi no Kitsune..." Ino choked out in fear as she beheld THE Kyuubi that the Yondaime supposedly killed 12 years ago.

_**"So, my little kit. You've finally found your way down to me. I was hoping we would meet face to face someday."**_ A booming, yet soft feminine voice rang out.

The Kyuubi started to glow, then shrank and changed into a beautiful woman with crimson red hair and eyes to match, wearing wisteria patterned kimono complete with her fox ears and her 9 tails swishing behind her. She had a sad look on her face as she gazed upon her jailor.

_**"My poor, poor child. I've seen the life that has been forced upon you, and even as a demon, I've never seen such cruelty before in my 10,000 years of existence. You have had to grow up knowing naught but heartache, pain, and betrayal. Not even a slight shred of respect or gratitude for the role you've played. I know that the Yondaime wanted you to be viewed as a hero, but fear and stupidity sadly ruined what happiness that could have been yours. I feel that all this is my fault to begin with. I allowed myself to be sealed to atone for what I had done. Your Yondaime wanted you to be seen as a hero for holding me back, but his faith in the village was sadly misplaced. If only I hadn't let that...that bastard Madara take control of me, I never would never have harmed anyone. I'm so, so sorry, my little Naru-chan." **_Kyuubi's echoing voice said sadly, starting to sob.

Ino couldn't believe what she was hearing and seeing. The supposedly evil, god-like Kyuubi no Kitsune was on her knees sobbing, pleading with her jailor for forgiveness. Furthermore, it seemed that the attack 12 years ago, was a misunderstanding gone horribly wrong. She was tricked into attacking the village. The gods could be so very cruel.

The precious Uchiha she USED to admire has had it easy. The village practically worshipped him, touting him as a tragic hero just for being the only survivor of a massacare on sheer dumb luck while Naruto has been forced to play the role of the Forsaken Hero from birth, hated and unloved by all just for existing.

Ino was futher shocked when the Naruto as she knows him now walked up to the cage and pulled the fox demoness into a gentle embrace. "Please. Please don't cry for me, Kyu-chan. I-I-I forgive you. It wasn't your fault." Naruto said with all the strength he could muster.

This only made Kyu ( Her name from now on ) cry even harder, but she managed to choke out, _**"Thank you, Naruto-kun."**_ She calmed down some more and held him at an arms length.

_**"Naruto-kun, I cannot thank you enough for your kindness dispite what my actions have brought you. Your inner strength is truly amazing. Now, I want to help you in return for your kindness. Should you ever require my power, help, or council, I swear upon my honor that I will do everything within my power to help you. We demons hold honor as our highest priority."**_ She stated, her crimson eyes locked onto his cerulean blues.

His relief was so great that he passed out, a gentle smile still gracing his lips. Kyu ran her fingers through his hair affectionately as she placed a kiss in his forehead and draped her tails around her host protectively. She noticed Ino standing very still, still in a state of shock.

_**"You must be a Yamanaka. Do not be frightened, young lady. I will not harm you.**_" Kyu said in a soothing tone.

Ino was apprehensive at first, but a voice in her head told her it was sincere and compelled her to trust her. _**"You have seen the single happy moment in his life. I felt it, too. He truly does love that girl with all of his heart. Even now, he strives to keep his vow to the pink haired one, the one who temporarily granted his hearts desire, to feel loved at least once in his life. Please, help him. I truly do care for the boy. I have been inside of him since the day he was born into this world, so I feel like he is my kit, as I've watched him grow up. If it were within my power, I would do whatever it takes to make him happy. He deserves at least that much after all he has been through. But, trapped in here, There is little that I can do. If the seal were removed, he will die. I will not have that happen to him. I sense that you are truly sorry for what you have done to him and want to make it right. Can you please help him out where I cannot?"**_ Kyu asked pleadingly, honest hope in her eyes.

"Yes. I'll help him out. It'll be my pleasure and an honor, Kyuubi-sama. I am also to blame for this mess that he's forced to call a school life, so it is only fitting that I help fix it. Besides, I've become rather fond of him, myself." Ino said respectfully, impressing Kyu.

"I can't help but admire him for his strength, being able to deal with all of the horrible, unspeakable things that happened to him and still show forgiviness. If Sakura still doesn't come around, I'll gladly snatch him up. He's way better than the spoiled Uchiha." She added. Kyu checked for any signs of deception, but to her comfort, Ino was being 100% honest.

_**"It's time to go now, young Yamanaka. We will meet again someday. Naruto-kun, please remember that you will always have me here to talk to should you need me. You just need to think what you want to say, and a mental link should form. I'll always watch over you, my kit." **_Kyu said as she disappeared into the cage.

_**REAL WORLD: CLASSROOM**_

Ino felt her body being shaken as she woke up in her own body. Sakura sat beside her, worry on her visage. " So? What did you see in there?" She asked. Ino flinched away from her fearfully as she still had some of Naruto's memories still fresh in her mind.

"No...Stay away..." She breathed out as she tried to fight back her sobs, but the tears just came running down her face as she wore haunted look, her skin and face drained of any and all color.

Sakura tried to help Ino get herself under control, but it was slow going. She deduced that whatever she saw in there must have been awful. She finally managed to calm Ino down enough to get her to explain just what she saw.

Ino just skimmed the surface of what she saw, just short of the Kyuubi. Sakura sat in a near catatonic state after what she just heard. She never imagined that his life was so dismal and horrible, but since Ino saw everything from Naruto eyes, she didn't question it. Ino only told her about the beatings, mutilations, verbal abuse and the homelessness. The skin carving and the rape, she was trying to forget, but now, she believes that the Uchiha Massacare was more like Divine Justice finally metted out for their evil, unspeakable crimes against an innocent boy. She also told Sakura about the single happy memory he had and how it involved her. She told Sakura to ask her mother about a pink azalea and a photo.

They didn't get much further when the Jounin senseis walked in to pick up their teams. Ino's team had to go, but she left a note for Naruto that read :

_Naruto, I need to talk to you. It's important. It's about Kyu. Meet me at the Yamanaka Flower shop at 6:30 P.M. I'm not joking or putting you on._

_Sincerly yours, Ino. _

Naruto read the note, then went through a wide range of expressions, ranging from rage to fear. This wasn't lost on Sakura. She knew then and there that Ino didn't tell her everything, so she was going to try and get some answers out of her new teammate, Naruto himself. Sasuke was his usual disinterested self, but was still fuming over the cryptic warning the spikey blond delivered earlier. "Hey, dobe. What the hell is your problem?" He practically demanded.

_' Typical, textbook Uchiha charm. Real smooth, Jackass.' _Naruto thought darkly.

"I'm not in the mood Sasuke. Just leave me alone for now, okay?" Naruto said calmly.

Naruto went back to his thoughts , but Sasuke wasn't about to let this perceived slight to his pride stand. Before he could say anything, Sakura whispered something in Naruto's ear that made his eyes widen with alarm, and he followed her beckoning to a corner of the now empty classroom, leaving an angry raven haired Uchiha alone.

"Okay, Sakura. You've got my attention, so let's have it." Naruto stated in a business-like manner that caught her by surprize.

"Oh, and by the way, poking around in someone's head isn't very polite. I knew she was there, but I was too tired to really do anything about it. But a word of warning. If you do that, you might just run into some things that are better off left forgotten." He said with a edge to his voice.

"Naruto, she only told me the basics, like your life thus far in general, but didn't delve too deep into specifics...or more like she wouldn't." She said. Naruto wanted to thank Ino for that at least when he met her tonight. "But with what little she told me, for what its worth, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for how mean and cruel I've been to you all this time. You really didn't deserve the treatment you got from Ino and I." Sakura said, tears forming in her eyes. Tears of guilt and shame.

_**"Kit, I sense that she is being sincere. I suggest hearing her out."**_ Kyu advised.

_' Right. Thanks, Kyu.' _Naruto sighed wearily.

"Don't cry. Please, don't cry for me. It kills me to see you do it. It killed me to see Ino do it and...well it just does. I'm just the class dobe, so I'm not worth the tears, okay?" He said in a soothing tone, trying to stem the flow of her tears.

"Besides, I forgive you, Sakura-_chan_." He added with one of his rare, true smiles, a smile that seemed to lift the burden of her sins from her shoulders.

"Thank you, Naruto-_kun_." She replied gratefully, giving him a tight, friendly hug.

Inner Sakura was acutally calm with her reply. _**"This feeling again...It's been so long. It always felt so warm and comfortable. I actually feel at peace now. Sasuke never made you feel this wonderful, this loved. I really want you to remember that day.**_" She said.

_'Yeah, I agree. I feel like such a moron for ignoring him, and doing so much to him. I want to make things right again. You weren't the idiot Naruto, I was.'_

Sakura regained her composure." Naruto, Ino also mention something about your happiest memory and she said it was about me some years ago. Can you tell me..." She started to ask, but he put a finger to her lips.

"No, Sakura-chan. This is something you need to remember on your own. I suggest using the clues that Ino most likely gave you. I'll wait as long as it takes." He told softly.

Sakura was in shock. She never thought that Naruto was this intelligent. She always called him a loser, idiot, dobe. But she felt that she was the idiot now. "Also, about my past... I'll tell you myself someday, just not right now, okay? However, can we agree to trust one another to be able to work together?" He asked.

"Y-yes. Of course, Naruto." She said, her trust in him already increasing. Naruto gave her another genuine smile that for some reason, made her feel comfortably warm, a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time.

_'Now I want to find out just how I made him so happy. It seems worth the effort.'_ She thought with a gentle smile.

The classroom door slid open to reveal a tall, lanky jounin with spikey sliver hair, face mask, and his Hitae-ate pulled over his left eye, giving him a somewhat cycloptic appearance, topped off with a bored expression. Sakura looked at him for a moment. "Are you Kakashi-sensei?" She asked.

"Yes, I am. Team 7, meet me on the roof, please." He said jauntly as he disappeared in a poof of smoke. All three newly minted genin headed up to the roof.

Upon arrival, Kakashi sat reading his infamous Icha Icha book until he noticed them. " Ah, all accounted for. So, welcome to Team 7. I will be your Jounin Sensei, Kakashi Hatake. My likes aren't important, neither are my dislikes. My hobbies aren't for minors and my dreams are none of your business." He said, eye-smileing at them. "You next, Pinky."

Sakura's eye twitched. '_Pinky? You stupid pervert!'_. Sakura calmed down and replied." My name is Sakura Haruno. My likes are..." She paused.

'_I was about to say Sasuke-kun, but I'm having some serious doubts now.'_ "My friends and reading. My dislikes are people who look down on others and pick on my new friend. My dream is to someday figure out my new friend and come to know him completely and hopefully have his strength and determination." She said confidenly, casting a small smile at Naruto.

He mouthed '_Thanks Sakura-chan',_ giving a grateful smile.

'_Hmm. I would have thought she was a fangirl of the Uchiha, but she proved me wrong. She seem to have come across a revelation of sorts, and matured greatly. She will be interesting to watch.' _Kakashi mused. " Okay, next up, emo boy."

Sasuke growled at the name he was given. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have any likes or dislikes to tell you. I don't have any hobbies. I don't have a dream, but I do have a goal, to resurrect my clan and kill my brother." He said in a dark, monotone voice. Sakura couldn't help but flinch at this. '_THIS is who I wasted my time, affection, and best friends on? This psycho? UUUGH! I was sooo naive!' _She languished mentally.

'_Woah. This kid has some serious problems with letting go. I need to watch this one, very carefully. His type of lone wolf attitude could get somebody killed. I guess Obito was the only sane one in the clan.'_ Kakashi warned himself. "Alright, last but not least, Blondie. You're up."

"All right." He sighed, resigning himself.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. My likes are my new friends, training, and ramen. My dislikes are arrogant, stuck up people, people who look down and pick on others, the three minute wait for your ramen to be ready. My dream is to be strong enough to protect this village and especially my precious people, whom I care about more than my own life." He stated resolutely.

'_You've certainly grown up to be interesting, Naruto. I'll help you with your dream since I was unable to help Obito with his. I see so much of him in you that it hurts. He would have gotten a kick out of you. But I'll help you in anyway I can. Sensei, you would be so proud of him. I know I am. '_ Kakashi swore internally.

Sakura smiled at this.'_He suffered so much at the hands of this village, but he still wants to protect it with his life. I'm so proud of you, Naruto-kun.' _She thought.

Inner Sakura ranted _**"SHANNARO! He's gonna be a kickass man some day, and an even more badass ninja! HE'S MINE!"**_

_'Whoa, take a cold shower! Calm down, will ya? I-I still need to think on this.'_

_**'Tonight, you need to ask mom about what Ino said. I really want you to remember..."**_

The team was told about their test as a team they were going to have to pass to become ninja and that it will take place the next day. When they went their seperate ways, it was already late afternoon, around 4:30 P.M. "Naruto, would you mind walking with me a bit?" She asked him, walking right by Sasuke.

Sasuke was stunned by this. '_She didn't even acknowledge me! That stupid dobe is ruining everything!' _He fumed.

"Sure, Sakura-chan." He replied warmly as they walked back into town together.

A/N: Second chapter done! The memory walk scenes were inspirations from The Great Hibiki's "Memories" and from Mr. Lee's Flower Tales series. I highly recommend these fics, as Mr. Lee's stories were somewhat of my trigger to try my hand at writing fics. As for Sakura's turn around, you'd be surprized what a shit ton of guilt can do to a person. Later.


	3. Setting the Heart Free

_**Chapter three here and up. Now, Naruto has some support his own age in Ino, who now knows about the Kyuubi but doesn't care. This is something that he desperately needed. Now, one with fic and enjoy yourselves. **_

_****UPDATE****_

_**I've been meaning to change things around in this fic for quite some time. I made a few changes here and there, so enjoy!**_

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 1710 HRS**_

Naruto walked Sakura all the way to her house. Once there, he dropped her off, she gave him a chaste hug and said she'll see him tomorrow. "Mom! I'm home!" She said happily. Hitomi Haruno, her mother, was a rather young mom. She was on a mission as a newly minted Jounin at 15, a rising, gifted young kunoichi. One thing led to another with her squadmate, then Sakura was born, but the father was gone. He didn't even say what he was doing. He avoided her altogether. But then, she found out he already had a family and was married. She all but retired from Shinobi life for a while, until her daughter was 10. Then, she returned to the active roster. She is not even 30 yet, still a young 27, and her daughter is already 12 and a graduated Genin now. " I'm in the kitchen, dear!" She answered.

"Wait, was that Naruto-kun?" She asked suddenly.

Sakura was surprized at her moms question, but answered anyway.

"Yeah, it was. He's on my team, now." She answered.

Hitomi almost burst out of the door to go find him but held herself back. She held a great deal of affection for the boy, but had not seen hide nor hair of him in five years. She really wanted to see how he'd grown. Sakura remembered what Ino told her to ask.

"Hey mom. Did Naruto ever come here when we were little?" She asked.

Hitomi's face washed over with nostalgia. " Yes, he did. He was such a sweet boy..." She explained to her the events of the day she first met the blond, whiskered boy. The floodgates of her memories burst open as she remembered that day in extreme detail.

'_He was my first crush, he told me that I was pretty and he was my first hero. He also said he loved me and I loved him. Oh my god, what have I done? Instead of sticking by him, I abandoned him, just to be popular. I'm such a jerk!'_ She internally screamed at herself.

Hitomi noticed the pained look on her child's face. "Dear, what's wrong?" Sakura proceeded to tell her mother the real reason why Nartuo never came around anymore.

Hitomi frowned at this, but realised that the guilt was eating Sakura alive, and that she was trying to rekindle the relationship that they had, as well as her friendship with Ino. Hitomi simply got up and walked over to a shelf near the kitchen and picked up a small, simple, mahogeny box, bringing it back over to her daughter.

"Here, Sakura. In this box, you will find the answers you've been searching for." She said cryptically as she handed the box to her.

Sakura opened the box slowly, to discover a pretty pink flower on top of a neatly folded black shirt with a very familiar red spiral. Off to the side of the box was a photograph. She froze when she saw who was in it. She saw herself at 7 holding the hand of the only blond boy she ever knew, he even had the whisker marks. She had the flower she's holding in her hair, smiling happily and shyly. Naruto had a big heart drawn around his picture. She looked on the back, and it had a date on it along with Naruto's name inside of a heart. Tears began to fall as she felt regret start to overwhelm her. But she fought off the regret and it was replaced by another, more positive emotion, love.

Hitomi saw her little blossom smile, and knew that Sakura finally had the answers to her questions. She was relieved that it was Naruto that had finally won out in her daughter's heart and not the Uchiha that literally the whole village worshipped. She felt that Naruto had EARNED her daughter's affection far more that some misguided crush. She knew that her little girl is growing up now.

"Mom? I think that...that I...love him. He always treated me nicely and with respect. Even when I was mean to him, he smiled. When I looked into his eyes, they were warm, bright, and inviting. But, when I looked into Sasuke-k...no, Sasuke's eyes, his were cold, a total void. I know that his clan was wiped out, but at least he had a family. Even though he's a orphan like Naruto-kun, he was treated like royalty and spoiled beyond imagination. Naruto-kun was a orphan from birth, he never knew his parents or even knows what they looked like. Today, he confided in me that his _**Oiroke no Jutsu**_ was created to see at least what his mother would have looked like, or even an older sister if she were real. I can't even imagine the loneliness he's had to endure, along with the cruelty of the village aimed at him. When he walked me home today, I noticed all of the hateful glares he was getting. But they didn't faze him at all. He just let it slide right off of him." She finally finished.

Hitomi was glad that her daughter learned that the cool guys are rarely the best choice. She herself made that choice and she wound up getting pregnant by a man who had a family, who just up and abandoned her and her daughter. Because his family was influential, he got to deny everything and she was left to raise Sakura alone. She did not want her daughter to repeat her mistake.

She knew that Naruto would never do that to Sakura or anyone else. His nature reminded her very strongly of the Yondaime, a man she greatly admired and helped her out when she was pregnant, along with his wife. They supported her and were even there for the birth. As the father wasn't there and there was nothing the Yondaime could do, he was given the honor of naming the child. He named her Sakura, after his favorite tree. She even made them Sakura's godparents. When he died in the sealing and his wife died in the Kyuubi attack, she wanted to take Naruto in, but was denied. She did, however, honor his final wish, and treated him kindly. She knew that she wouldn't regret it. Good karma always came back to you. And it just did, in the form of Naruto.

They eventually wound down the conversation, had some dinner, and went to bed. There, Sakura was conversing with her inner self.

_**"I'm glad you came to your senses and dropped that brooding nutcase. I thought that you'd never remember Naruto-kun and the kindness he showed us that day. I fell in love with him that day. I've loved him ever since. But Ino didn't approve and you abandoned him, creating me when you denied your heart."**_

_" I didn't know that... I was always trying to give my heart to Sasuke."_

_**"How could you do that when you gave me to Naruto-kun first?"**_

_"Wait a minute... what are you really? When you said YOU fell in love with him..."_

_**"That's right. I am your heart. You locked me away when you denied your true feelings."**_

_"So that means on a certain level, my heart always belonged to Naruto-kun."_

_**"Just like his heart has always belonged to us. His is an especially pure heart, not like the Uchiha's, which has been tainted by vengeful desires and a lust for power. Still beautiful dispite the all of the abuse, neglect, and evil that were inflicted on him. He truly is someone very special, very rare. Your mother saw it. I'm surprized no one else has noticed. I truly do love him."**_

_"I know. I love him, too. I've had enough of betraying my heart. If I really want to be happy, I need to just be ME...or US."_

_**"You...You mean we...can become one...finally?"**_

_"Yeah. We both love him. I guess since our feelings re-aligned, we'll be whole again. I have to admit, I've felt empty since I chased after that lunatic. Are you ready?"_

_**"Yes... I've dreamed of this day. Now it's finally come. I can finally be with my Naruto-kun once again."**_

With that thought, Inner Sakura was finally re-merged with Sakura to become whole once again. She smiled in her sleep, dreaming of her blond haired, whisker-cheeked guardian angel who captured her heart so long ago.

_**YAMANAKA FLOWER SHOP 1825 HRS**_

Naruto arrived at the meeting spot set by Ino in her note. He was anxious due to her finding out his deepest, darkest secret. He didn't have to wait long, as Ino casually walked out of the flower shop's door.

"I forgot that your family owns this place." He commented.

Ino gave him an amused smirk, but got down to business. "Now, as you know, I kinda used my mind jutsu on you. As a result, I kinda...sorta learned your secret." She said sheepishly. Naruto, however, was not amused.

"Firstly, Ino, why did you do this to me? Haven't you guys tourtured me enough? Why don't you leave me alone to at least suffer in peace, instead of ADDING to my daily hell? You saw what happens to me just by walking down the street!" He shouted heatedly, tears starting to fall.

Ino didn't expect him to be so upset. She decided to calm him down. "Easy there, Naruto. I'm not gonna tell anyone what I saw. You know, Kyu was actually really nice. I was taught that she was evil incarnate, but I didn't feel a hint of malice from her. As for what I told Sakura, I only gave a brief view into your daily 'hell', the one you've suffered alone since birth. I'll let you tell her the rest when you feel you're ready, especially about Kyu. Needless to say, I don't think she'll hate you anymore. I also reminded her of something important that happened between the two of you, but only gave her vague clues and told her to ask her mom for the rest." Ino concluded.

Naruto knew what she was talking about. "I-Ino..." He started, but the words were caught in his throat. He burst forward and hugged her tightly. Ino saw tears coming from his eyes. "Thank you...Thank you so much, Ino." He choked out.

Ino was stunned by her fellow blond's embrace, but calmly and gently returned it. "You're welcome, Naruto. Take it as an apology, for all of the horrible things I've done to you and said to you. You're a really nice guy. I just can't believe it took you finally snapping on all of us then that warning you gave us to notice it. You showed concern that nobody else would have shown in your position. I think Sakura's eyes have been opened to the truth. I also went into Sasuke's mind. He only thinks of women as tools to resurrect his clan. His mind to so hell bent on revenge, that he'll never be able to love, or even care about anyone or anything. You, however, suffered more than he could ever imagine possible and turned out to be a pretty nice guy. In your shoes, he probably would have gone insane and killed himself. That proves that a strong ninja isn't always a strong person. You really are one of a kind." Ino complimented while giving him a warm embrace.

_**"Kit, she's being honest with you and if I'm not mistaken, she may even harbour feelings for you."**_

_'You serious, Kyu-chan? Wow...Those fox senses of yours sure are handy."_

Kyu giggled at the compliment. _**"Thank you, kit. Over time, these traits will be passed on to you, too. But only over time."**_

_'Alright! I can't wait!'_

A voice from the house suddenly rang out. "Ino! It's getting late!" The feminine voice called out.

A blond woman walked out of the shop, spotting Ino protectively embraceing a lightly sobbing Naruto. She smiled at the sight. She remembered the boy from some years back. She also knew about the Kyuubi, but was one of the very few people in the village that didn't hate him for it. Instead she was thankful. It could have been any child that was chosen to bear the burden.

Shiho Yamanaka knew better than most that Naruto was the real victim, more so than everybody else, yet they took their anger out on a helpless child. She had tried to adopt him, like a few other clans and people had, but the council shot them down. More than once, she was surprised and impressed by the strength and courage the boy had shown time and time again. She was, however, glad that her daughter was extending some form of comfort to the poor boy.

Ino noticed her mom and jumped from the shock, dropping Naruto. "Oh, sorry, Naruto!" She said apologetically.

"S'okay." He mumbled comically from the ground.

Shiho walked over and helped the boy up, giggling. He noticed who she was and quickly bowed politely to her.

"Good evening, Mrs. Yamanaka."

Shiho giggled even more. "Good evening, Naruto-kun. Do you feel better, now?" She asked with concern.

He put on one of his very rare true smiles. "Yes. I feel so much better, now. It's all thanks to Ino." He answered, giving her a truly wonderful smile.

_'This boy is no more a demon than I am.'_ She thought to herself

"Naruto, if you ever want to talk to someone, my door is always open to you. I can honestly say that I'm proud to be your friend." Ino said, giving him a warm hug to say goodbye for the night.

"Good night, Naruto-kun." Ino said warmly.

"Good night, Ino-chan." Naruto replied, smiling gently. He took off to the rooftops, making his way home.

"You know,.." Shiho started. "I really like that boy. He's been through so much pain and suffering all alone his whole life, but he is such a sweetheart, if you really look closely. I'm very proud of what you did for him tonight." Shiho told her daughter.

"I'm just glad I can help him, even just a little bit. I only wish I could do more, to make up for some of the horrible things I did and said to him over the years." She replied. The two Yamanaka women quickly went inside at the insistance of one Inoichi Yamanaka.

_**2 DAYS LATER APRIL 14th KONOHA HOSPITAL 0837 HRS**_

The blond stranger slowly and grogily opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. There was a sterile smell, white sheets, and a EKG machine he was hooked up to.

_' A hospital? Where the hell am I?'_ He thought.

"Oh, you're awake. You know, you're awfully cute when you sleep." A feminine voice said sweetly.

He looked to his left to see a young woman, a nurse. He fought down a blush. He got a good look at her : She had shoulder length brown hair, soft hazel eyes, and a heart-shaped face framed by her bangs. She was around 5'7", with a slim, athletic build to her and around his own age. She was definately pretty.

"You're pretty amazing. You recovered from what should have been fatal injuries in only 2 days." She remarked, amazed.

The two made small talk for the next 30 minutes and the Florence Nightengale effect reared it head. _'This guy's kinda cute...maybe when he checks out of here, he'll go on a trial date...'_ She thought slyly.

"Oh, awake are we, my young friend?" An old, wizened voice called from the doorway of the room. The young man turned his attention toward the doorway.

"I was wondering when you'd come in. Who are you?" He said.

Sarutobi just chukled. "My name is Hiruzen Sarutobi. I am the leader of this village, Konohagakure no Sato." He said, the turned his attention to the nurse.

"Mikoto, my dear. Can you please wait outside for a moment?"He asked her warmly.

"Of course, Hokage-sama." She said, rising obediently, but not before winking at the young blond, making him blush bright red.

This reaction wasn't lost on the old leader. _'Hohoho! It seems our young stranger has a bashful side! That makes talking much easier due to him having a pleasant personality . He's also pretty sharp. I just can't help but notice the resemblance to Minato, and more importantly, Naruto. Wait...'_ Sarutobi's train of thought paused as he questioned the young man on his past, the strange 'jutsu' that brought him there, and his strange equipment and technology. The young blond acquiesed rather easily. Sarutobi noticed a strange tattoo on his upper left upper arm and on his right shoulder blade. They were of the number '15'.

"That tattoo...is it some sort of seal?" The old Hokage asked.

"No...It's my production number. Test subject #15." He replied in a haunted voice.

"Production number? Test subject? Perhaps you can tell me your story, my boy." Sarutobi said in a warm, grandfatherly way, making him relax.

"O-okay... I was part of a human weapons program, set up to create the ultimate warrior. From what info I was able to gleen from left over files after I broke free from their control and before being sent here, I was taken along with at least 19 other orphans when we were 3 years old.." Sarutobi's blood froze at this revelation, but refrained from reacting, letting his blond guest continue.

"They subjected us to genetic manipulation, physical testing, and a host more tests. I was one of 4 children who survived the testing. The other 3 died later, killed because the ones who created us began to fear us, seeing us as threats." He spat out bitterly, but continued.

"They also implanted us with microscopic machines, called 'nanomachines'. This, along with the genetic modifications and the body fortifications they made, it gave us a superhuman physical resistance to injury, rapid wound healing and regeneration, enhanced physical strength, speed, reflexes, and agility. They also 'programmed' us with numerous styles of hand-to-hand combat, and trained us to use them all with deadly efficiency."

Sarutobi's thoughts wandered again, _' Taijutsu, eh? He might just be a good candidate for a shinobi...'_

"One day, after all my kind were dead, the project was scrapped and they were going to dispose of me, too. They took me to the room where they killed my brother and sisters and I saw their bodies. Seeing that, I guess I flipped out, killing nearly everyone in the facility who tried to stop me. Now, I am the sole survivor of the 20 cursed souls that they perverted in their quest for power. I am the last of my kind." The young blond said somberly.

The old Hokage looked upon him with a mixture of worry and sympathy. _'This young man has lived through so much pain and still pulled through. He even fought back to prevent others from sharing the fate of his kind. Truly a strong young man. Wait... this feeling... chakra? From him? It's so powerful...'_ He thought as he concentrated his senses on the young man. " Sorry, _Ichigo-kun_, but is there anything else you'd like to tell me? Like how your chakra got so powerful?"

'_Ichigo' _looked stunned. "Y-you gave me a name? OH THANK YOU!" He said, too overjoyed to say anything else. He was so happy, that he aquiest to the request immeadiately.

"Chakra? Oh, this..." He said as realization dawned on him as he concentrated his energy some more.

The old man could hardly believe his eyes. A blue haze formed into a shell around him. The chakra was VISIBLE. That was't supposed to be possible, yet here it is, happening.

"I've been able to do this since I freed myself. I figured it was just a wierd side effect of the nanos and the DNA manipulation, along with some other strange abilities. Can you hand he that glass of water?" He asked. Sarutobi complied. The blond started to manipulate the water in the glass, holding it like a ball in his hands. This made Sarutobi's eye go wide.

_'Elemental manipulation? That's a Jounin level skill!'_ He thought.

The young man wasn't done yet. He let the water back into the glass and set it down. His left hand started to crackle with electricity and his right held a small flame, while a wind started to flow around him gently. He then let those go and started to play with some soil from a potted plant, making it dance in his hands.

"Another quirk is the ability to view the memories of others and letting them view my own. When I jump into somebody's mind, they have to guide me around, as I can't just force my way in. I can only view what they show me. It won't work unless they're honest. I also have another state." He said, standing up from his bed. He started to concentrate and then, Sarutobi felt a violent surge of chakra as it gushed out of him in violent gales. It didn't feel malevolent, but it was overwhelmingly dense and powerful. Blue lines appeared on his skin and his eyes and body were glowing a gentle blue.

Sarutobi almost had a heart attack. "By the grace of God..." Sarutobi gasped as Ichigo powered down.

"I just released 30% of my full capacity. When I remove my limiters, all of my abilities are increased dramatically but I can't hold it for too long. If I go too far, and body's core temperature with rise to fatal levels and will kill me because while I do that, my metabolism is sped up far beyond anything normal humans can withstand. I have at least 10% of my full power active at all times." Ichigo finished.

Sarutobi quickly regained his bearings, though, as he confirmed his judgement. _'Someone like him is too dangerous for us to not recruit. He is too tempting a target for other nations, as well as Orochimaru. Just from what I've seen, he is easily Jounin level and material. I now know that my plan will work. Naruto and Ichigo will take to each other very quick, I imagine. They are so much alike, not only in looks, but in basic personality. This will bond Ichigo to this village and ensure his loyalty.'_

Sarutobi extended his offer to become a shinobi of the Leaf, which he eagerly accepted. He told him that his skill with need to be tested. He was given a month to prepare and a starters kit of sorts of scrolls and books on the basic academy jutsu and chakra control exersices. He also proposed his plan to set him up with another orphan like himself, as a big brother. This offer really intruiged him. He wanted so badly to have a family and now, his wish was coming true. He also chanced telling him about the Kyuubi, which Ichigo took extreamly well. He was actually very protective of him since he knew what it was like carrying a burden against your will.

Sarutobi said he was there to check him out of the hospital and Ichigo got out of bed like nothing happened to him. Sarutobi checked his wounds and they were gone, like they never happened. He moved over to his bag to search for some clothes, only to find that he didn't have any. Sarutobi already foresaw this problem and motioned to a table next to him that had a storage scroll. He opened it up and a simple white shirt with a green Konoha leaf mark on the back and simple black pants came out with the standard shinobi footware. He slipped into them and was pleasantly pleased.

"Hey, these are pretty comfortable, and I really like the footware."

Sarutobi grinned. " I'm glad you like them, Ichigo-kun." He looked to the window where he sensed another presense

"Kakashi! Come out, I know you're there." In a puff of smoke, there stood the lanky, sliver-haired, cycloptic jounin.

"Yo." Was his simple greeting.

"Kakashi, can you bring Naruto to my office? I have something to tell him...something important." Sarutobi said. He proceeded to explain the situation about Ichigo and his arrival. Kakashi took the info at face value. He saw a faint overlapping image of his old sensei with Ichigo.

"I'll go get Naruto now, Hokage-sama." He said, poofing away.

The duo made their way down to the nurses station to check out. A familiar voice rang out from the duty desk.

"Hey Ichigo-kun. You feeling better, 'hon?" Mikoto asked him in a playful voice, winking at him seductively.

Ichigo's nose sprung a small leak at the insinuation of said wink and blushed a red that would shame a tomato.

Sarutobi noticed this and gave him a hearty back slap and chuckle. "Don't be shy, my dear boy!" He chortled.

Mikoto just took this as her opportunity to ask him out. "Hey, I get off shift at 6. I like Daffodils, Nigiri, and moonlit walks. See you at six..." She paused, cupping his face.

_"Ichigo-kun._" She finished with a coo, pecking him on the cheek. She waved goodbye to him and left to make her rounds. Ichigo walked out the door stiff-legged and robot-like with the same monster blush.

As soon as he got outside, he lept straight into the air, did a triple-flip and started dancing madly with glee. "I'M GONNA LOVE THIS PLACE!" He whooped at the top of his lungs.

This made the old ninja leader belly laugh out loud and the other nurses to giggle and titter. The Hokage came out to guide him to his office and show him around his new home in the process.

"I can't believe I've got a date on my first day here! I must be the luckiest guy on earth!" Ichigo said happily.

But he was snapped out of his reverie, by realizing a slight snag, HE HAD NO DAMN MONEY! He told Sarutobi of the problem, but he had a solution ready.

"Our R & D division would pay handsomely for the technology you came here with, should you care to part with it." Sarutobi suggested.

Ichigo took all of 3 seconds to think on it. He took out what he wanted to keep, which was his music player with both headphones and a small set of speakers, tool kit, a small wooden box, and a large camoflague jacket, and gave Sarutobi the rest.

"I'm not gonna need this junk anymore. Your lab jockeys can do whatever their geeky little hearts want with this stuff. I'll have to make sure they don't go blowing each others head off, though." Ichigo said. Sarutobi asked what the items he kept were.

"Well, this item has music on it. I like to listen to music to help me think and relax, or even give me inspiration. Here, put this in your left ear." He said, handing him an ear bud. The song that was playing was "Canon in D major" by Pachelbel. The Hokage's aged features relaxed greatly as his hand moved in time with the music.

When the song ended, he handed back the bud. "That was certainly a beautiful song. I can see how that would help you relax." He admitted. _'That's perfect for stress relief. Just add some tea and my pipe and I've got a few moments of pure peace.' _

"The tool kit is just something that might come in handy and the jacket is warm and tough, making it useful for working in. Last but not least, this box contains cooking recipes that I've collected for some time now. You see, I like to cook when I can." Sarutobi nodded in agreement with the logic.

Without further ado, They continued on their way to the tower as they continued to discuss the nature of the test he would be given.

_**HOKAGE TOWER 1123 HRS**_

The first stop at the tower was to the R & D division, where a slightly frazzled looking young woman named Shiho thanked the two of them profusely for dropping a goldmine's worth of research into her lap, to which the bespecticled girl kissed Ichigo, very, VERY deeply.

_'Did she slip me some tongue?'_ He thought as he got around to showing the R & D staff how to safely handle the firearms.

After Sarutobi was finished laughing at his deer in the headlights reaction, he was then taken to the dispersal clerk to draw payment for the items. His eyes bulged comically at all the zeros. At least 1.2 million ryou.

_'Well, money problem's solved.'_ He sighed inwardly. They finally made their way up to Sarutobi's office. The secretary, Shana, a young woman with flaming red hair, greeted Sarutobi at the door.

"Oh! Hokage-sama, welcome back! Kakashi-san and Naruto-kun are waiting in your office as we speak. Also, Koharu-sama is inside, as well. She wants an explenation of what happened 3 nights ago." She explained.

Sarutobi groaned. "I knew they'd find out sooner or later. I suppose I'll tell her the truth." He sighed.

They opened the doors and walked inside. Naruto got a good look at Ichigo and pointed at him.

"Hey! You're that guy from a couple'a nights ago!" He shouted.

Sarutobi cleared his throat to get their attention. He then began to explain what happened, his acceptance of recruitment into their ranks, the abilities he's shown thus far and his generous donation of the technology he came with.

Koharu, to Sarutobi's surprize, loved the idea. It added a powerful shinobi to their ranks, and a equally powerful bloodline. She also felt some sympathy for Naruto. She knew that the Kyuubi's crimes were not his fault. He was just a boy with a horribly unjust burden, and this man would help him. She knew she couldn't say the same about Danzo and Homura, her other two collegues. Danzo wanted to turn the boy into a mindless weapon and Homura wanted him dead. She heard about Ichigo's horrifying past and knew that the two would bond rather quickly due to their similar history, appearance and cheerful personality. Sarutobi and Koharu looked over at Kakashi, Naruto, and Ichigo, and saw that they were chatting it up like they've been friends for years, laughing at jokes and trading stories.

_'I know this will be good for them. Kakashi needs to let go of the past, and Ichigo can help him do that by being his friend.'_ She also agreed to the testing. Kyu took the opportunity to speak with her host.

_**"Kit, I sense a great power within this man, but it isn't evil. It feels warm and gentle, but insanely powerful. His is on par with a 5-tailed demon, at the very least. You can trust him, but I should like to speak with him, if we get the chance. Feel fortunate that this man is willing to be your guardian and is kind. Your sensei also seems to like him, honestly."**_

_"Thanks for the heads-up, Kyu-chan. I...I like this guy. Maybe he can help me train. Kakashi-sensei said that the council is going to force him to spend our training sessions just training the Teme. That's not fair to him or us. Hey, maybe he can help Sakura-chan, too! "_

_**" I think he will help you. After all, he going to be your big brother, and he seems to be well suited for the role. I noticed that he feels similar to you in many ways, even by scent."**_

_**'His power...He can't be human, but he's not a demon...What in the world is he? What else could he be? His strength seems almost...supernatural...'**_

Ichigo looked at a clock on the wall of the office and paled. "Oh man! I still need to get her some flowers and find a restaurant that serves good nigiri. Mikoto will flay me if I don't!" He whined in a slight panic.

Koharu laughed good-naturedly. "Oh, hohoho! You certainly do work fast, my dear young man!"

"Ano, Koharu-sama, she...kinda asked me out. I've never been on a date before." Ichigo said bashfully.

"Well, flowers are a very nice gesture and a good start. Your heart's in the right place. For flowers, I suggest the Yamanaka Flower Shop and for the dinner, I recommend Ofuda's for their fine service." She said in a grandmotherly tone.

"Really? Thanks!" He said excitedly, bowing respecfully.

"Think nothing of it, my sweet young man." She chuckled.

"Hey, I can show you around and take you to the flower shop and the restaurant if you want, aniki." Naruto offered.

"Hey, thanks, otouto! You wanna come too, Kakashi?" Ichigo asked.

"Sure. I've got time to kill. Let's go." The cycloptic Jounin jauntly replied. With that said, the trio bounded out the window to the flower shop via the rooftops.

Koharu turned to her former teammate. "Well Saru, this is definately one of your crazier, but better ideas. I like that young man. He reminds me so much of Minato. I hope he can help turn Naruto's life around for the better." She said in confidence.

"Yes. I hope so, too." He replied.

_**YAMANAKA FLOWER SHOP 1343 HRS.**_

After a short guided tour of Konoha on the way, the trio arrived at the flower shop. They walked inside and were greeted by Ino.

"Welcome to the...Oh! Naruto! How are you today?" She inquired.

"Oh hey, Ino-chan! Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good today. Hey, I want you to meet somebody." He gestures to Ichigo. "This is my new aniki, Ichigo!" He said excitedly.

Ichigo stepped forward to introduce himself. "Hi there! I'm Ichigo Uzumaki, how do you do, young lady?" He chirped with a smile and a wink, holding out his hand to shake.

The blonde haired girl began to blush madly. _'He looks just like Naruto, just grown up! He's gonna be that much of a hottie? I mean, Naruto is already kinda cute with those cute whiskers and that smile... It just makes your knees weak.' _She thought as she looked into his eyes.

She regained her composure quickly, however. "Hey there, Ichigo. I'm Ino, Ino Yamanaka. Nice to meet ya!" She said, with a noticeable hint of sauciness and a wink of her own, shaking his hand.

"So, where have you been all this time?" She asked.

Ichigo paled for a moment, but quickly thought up a viable story. "The night the fox attacked, I thought that Naruto had been killed along with our mom and had no reason to stay. I traveled around with an old man who taught me all kinds of different taijutsu styles for the past 12 years. He passed on in Earth Country when some Iwa nin thought I looked like the Yondaime. They attacked, but we beat them. My sensei died during the fighting, however. I've been wandering around until I heard a Konoha nin mention an Uzumaki and that's what got me to come back. I ended up finding out I had family here the whole time! I know of the treatment he's received here and I'm gonna see to it that it stops. No one will pick on him anymore if I have anything to say about it." He finished with an edge to his voice.

Kakashi liked what he heard. _'That was a pretty good cover story. I almost believed it! This guy is pretty smooth when he has to be. He might be decent as a spy.' _The Copy nin thought.

'_Hey, while I'm here, I might as well pick something up for Rin. I'm gonna need it.'_ He groaned inwardly.

Naruto's head suddenly jerked to his newfound sibling. "Hey aniki, didn't you need to get flowers for your date?" He reminded his brother.

"Oh yeah! Hey, um, can I get a dozen yellow Daffodils, Ino-chan?" He requested.

"Comin' up!" was her spritely reply. As she went to gather the order, Mrs. Yamanaka came out and smothered Naruto with a hug.

"Ohh, Naruto-kun! So good to see you!" She said happily and nearly suffocated him in her, generous, assets.

_'Lucky kid...I wish I was him right now...'_ Kakashi thought, blushing under his mask.

She asked who Ichigo was, as he laid down the same story on her that he did on Ino. She got all weepy-eyed and smothered him in a spine-mangleing hug. Ino came back out and had to help Naruto and Kakashi peel her mother off of a blue-faced Ichigo.

After Ichigo managed to re-align his spine and ribs, they got going to their next destnation, Ofuda's. There they made the reservation for the dinner at 7:00 P.M sharp. From there, the trio made off to the business district for some better threads.

_**KONOHA BUSINESS DISTRICT 1454 HRS**_

After a bit of searching around for a shop that would serve Naruto as well, the trio settled on a small shop called 'Dagashiya's' at the end of the district. The old lady there didn't seem to care about Naruto, as much as she now had paying customers. He and Kakashi lent their opinions to Ichigo's wardrobe. In the end, he picked out some khaki slacks, a casual white button up shirt, and some dress shoes.

For Naruto, it was a bit more difficult. He insisted on at least a little orange, so they went with a dark blue jacket with and orange stripe down both arms and dark blue pants with the same thing. Unfortunately, one of the last people they expected showed up. Yes, Kohona's resident snake summoner, sex pistol, sadist, and all around psychopath Anko Mitarashi showed up in all her fish-netted glory.

She instantly homed in on Naruto, whom she always made time to tease. Ichigo's first impression of her is that her eyes don't just look at people, they stalk them. " Naru-kun, how are _you_ today?" She said huskily as she captured the eyes of the three men with the hypnotic sway to her hips making her way over to Naruto.

She'd never admit to it while sober, but in truth, she saw the young blond prankster as her little brother and kindred spirit. She grew attached to him from her time in ANBU. She was a member of the team that the Hokage assigned to watch over and protect Naruto. A few nights, she even snuck into his room and cradled him to sleep, singing him a lullaby as she did so. In him, she saw herself after Orochimaru cast her away and she'd be damned if this boy, who did nothing but exist, suffered the wrath of the village all alone. One thing she made damn clear was that she truly loved the boy, and would kill anyone who harmed him without cause in a heartbeat.

She even tried adopting him, like Kakashi, his teammate Rin, Ibiki Morino, Maito Gai, Kurenai, Asuma, Yugao Uzuki of another ANBU squad, the Yamanaka's, Nara's, Hitomi Haruno, Inuzuka's, Akimichi's, even the Aburame's, two of the three Sannin and the ramen shop owner, Teuchi Ichiraku and his daughter, tried to help the boy, just to be denied by the council.

The three most surprizing of them all was Itachi Uchiha. He was also a member of the team that guarded Naruto and greatly sympathized with the boy.

The others were Hibana Hyuuga and Mikoto Uchiha, the mothers of Hinata Hyuuga and Sasuke Uchiha, wanted to adopt him as well, but their husbands would never allow it. The Hyuuga's and the Uchiha's wanted the boy dead, fearing his potential not only due to his heritage, but also due the the Kyuubi's power, should he ever learn to master it and wield it as his own, toppleing them from their supremacy.

Naruto spoke up to greet her. "A-A-Anko-n-neechan, w-what's up?" He chuckled out nervously.

"Oh, nothing. Just checking up on my favorite blond munchkin." She cooed, pinching his cheek.

She then noticed Ichigo, standing petrified. " Mmm, yum, yum..." She cooed, licking her lips with a lecherous grin.

He barely had time to mutter "uh oh.", before she wound herself around him like a snake around its prey.

"Who's this tasty morsel, Naru-kun?" She asked of Naruto while nipping seductively at his neck.

"Ah, um, eh, I'm Ichigo...U-Uzumaki." He barely managed to eek out.

Anko let go in surprize."Uzu...maki?" She asked, puzzled. Kakashi took the opportunity to tell the real story to her since she is one of the only people that could be trusted with such information.

"Oh. Ah heh heh... sorry about that." She said, sheepishly. "Jeez, there's a huge resemblance! You just look like an older Naruto!" She exclaimed after getting a better look at him after uncoiling herself from him.

After a few moments of familiarization, the trio paid for their stuff and bugged out, leaving an amused Anko. "My little family just gained a member..." She smiled. Not her usual snake-like smirk, but an honest, good-natured smile, revealing the Anko she used to be before Orochimaru.

_**NARUTO'S APARTMENT 1629 HRS.**_

The trio made it back to Naruto's apartment. Ichigo's face formed a slight scowl at the conditions Naruto was forced to live in, but he held his opinion, at least he had a roof over his head, no matter how crappy it was. They walked inside, Naruto pulled out a vase for Kakashi and Ichigo to rest the flowers in to keep them fresh.

"Hey, otouto. Mind if I use your shower? I kinda smell funky." Ichigo asked after getting a wiff of himself.

"Sure thing. I gotta warn ya though, there's no hot water." Naruto warned.

"Bah, a shower's a shower right now. Thanks, otouto." He thanked.

As Ichigo took his shower, Kakashi took the opportunity to talk a bit with Naruto, man to man. "So Naruto, how do you like this arrangement?" The copy nin asked.

Naruto thought for a moment, then spoke, "Well, I kinda like it. I mean, he seems like a decent guy, he knows about Kyu and didn't freak out. He actually wanted to meet her, which is all good, since she wants to talk with him, too." He related to his one-eyed sensei.

He also took the opportunity to tell him about what happened the day of the team selections and Sakura's strangely friendly behaivor toward him, as well as Ino finding out about Kyuubi. He quickly assured Kakashi that she swore to not tell anyone, but she also saw all of his memories, including the most painful and horrifying ones, which Kakashi also tried his hardest to forget. The rape and mutilation of a 7 year old boy was something that really pissed off the normally laid back copy nin. Especially since one of the perpetraitors was now a member of his genin team, one Sasuke Uchiha.

The situation with Sakura was an interesting one. Her views of the Uchiha's perfection that most girls in her age range shared were shattered and her views of Naruto, who damn near the whole village hated, were changed for the better. She even ignored Sasuke for Naruto, asking him to walk her home. Naruto, to his credit, had mellowed out quite a bit. This will help the usually unruly blond in the long run.

Something that really stuck in his craw, though, was the council forcing him to train Sasuke instead of the others, to focus solely on him. He was worried that Naruto and Sakura would get killed on missions since he wouldn't be allowed the time to train them. But now that Ichigo is here, he can at least train them in taijutsu, if he's up to it. Naruto's goal came to mind as well.

_'Don't worry Naruto. I'll find a way to help you. I swear I will.'_ He thought.

Ichigo came out of the bathroom fully dressed and ready to go. He had 15 minutes to go until the pick up time. "Whoa, look at the time! I gotta get going!" He exclaimed.

"I'll go with you. I've gotta pick up Rin there, anyway." Kakashi told him casually.

"Hey, Aniki, Kakashi-sensei! The flowers!" Naruto called out, handing them their respective parcels.

"Thanks, little buddy!"

"Thanks, Naruto. Rin would have killed me if I showed up empty handed, again."

"Aww. It's nothin'. Just say hi to Rin-neechan for me."

"Sure thing, Naruto.".

The two elder men left in a flash towards their destination, the hospital.

_**KONOHA HOSPITAL 1755 HRS.**_

Kakashi and Ichigo arrived at the hospital with a few moments to spare, dispite Kakashi's nasty penchant for tardiness. They both looked like schoolboys waiting for their dates. Finally one of them came out. She had bob-cut brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, had curious looking rectangular markings on each cheek. He could tell she is obviously a kunoichi by the way she carried herself.

She walked up to Kakashi, "Hey Kakashi-kun. You're on time for a change." The woman said playfully, bopping him on the arm.

She noticed his company, "Hey...It's you...Who are you?" She inquired, but before anyone could answer, a squeal came from behind them.

"OOOH! Ichigo-kun! You came!" Mikoto squealed in delight, launching herself at him. His face lit up like a light bulb as he stammered out his greeting.

"H-hi M-M-Mikoto-san...here...for you..." As he held out her favorite flowers. She squealed happily once again and then dragged him, literaly, off to start their date. He barely had time for a pathetic looking wave to Kakashi before he disappeared behind a corner.

The woman stood confused. She wanted to know who he was. "Rin, what I am about to tell you must never be repeated to ANYONE. Understood?" Kakashi warned. She nodded, wanting to know. He told her the whole story and she actually felt a wave of relief.

"So, he's gonna help take care of my cutest patient ever, eh?" She quipped playfully. She knew that if Kakashi trusted him, then she could trust him. She had a deep affection for Naruto and was fiercely protective of him. He was like the baby brother she never had, but always wanted.

"Yes. He's going to be his big brother now. He wants to help train Naruto and possibly Sakura since the council wants me to focus only on the Uchiha." He said solemnly.

Rin looked flabberghasted. "WHAT? That'll get the other two killed! How could they do that?" She exclaimed angerily.

Kakashi sighed, "I know it's not fair. I know that almost all the Uchiha shunned Obito and they also did all those horrible things to Naruto. Sasuke is one of the people who did the carvings 5 years ago." Kakashi growled.

Rin's face darkened. "That little arrogant bastard...I think that Itachi had an ulterior motive to his madness. He was always adamant about protecting him. He even slayed 4 of his clansmen on sight for the, _incident_." She noted.

"Enough about those dark times. Let's go get a bite to eat, huh?" She perked up suddenly. They took off for their tri weekly ritual of going out to dinner.

_**DOWNTOWN KONOHA - "OFUDA'S" 1823 HRS.**_

The walk to the restaurant was a pretty pleasant one. They made more small talk on the way there, learned a bit more about each other, and even made jokes and generally had fun. But, as his luck with women so far in his life would have it, things took a drastic belly flop, into a empty pool. Here's how it went down :

They sit down at their table, things are still going perfectly, until she asks the wrong question. "Hey, Ichigo-kun," She said happily, estatic to have a handsome date again, "You never told me your family name." She said curiously.

Warning alarms went off in his head, but he took a leap of faith..."Uzumaki. It's Uzumaki." And fell face first.

He was rewarded with a glass of water over his head and a slap to the face. "YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE RELATED TO THAT...THAT...THING! GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed and ran out.

Sakura was walking down the street, coming home from Ino's place, her head still swimming with what Ino had told her. Ino told her about Kyu and what she really is. She was shocked, but it made sense. His birthday was on the exact day of the Kyuubi attack. She felt even more guilt over the things she had done and said to the blond jinchuuriki. That was the reason for all the cold, menacing glares and sharp comments. Her heart dropped down to her feet in shame. She was glad that at least Kyu was kind, now that he knew about her, and that she offered to help him out.

She then saw a brown haired woman screaming at a tall, blond haired man, who was just standing there, taking it all. She screamed about "Uzumaki" and "monster". She knew that she was talking about Naruto. She then saw the woman slap the man with all her might, but the man just stood passively and took it. She stormed off, walking past her, muttering about the brother of the demon.

She ran over to she if he was okay. She was suprized when he took in a deep breath, let it out, and replied sarcastically,"Well, THAT could have gone better. Oh well. She can't accept Naruto, then I'm better off this way." He said to himself, not knowing that he had a spectator.

Sakura tapped him on his shoulder blade, since she couldn't reach his shoulders, to get his attention. He turned slowly to see a girl with pink hair. PINK. "Uh, excuse me? Are you okay?" She asked. He sighed. " Yeah, I'll be alright. I never thought that the Uzumaki name itself was hated, too."

Her eyes flew wide. "U-Uzu...maki?" She said in shock. "Are you... related to Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Yep. I'm his big brother. The name's Ichigo, little lady. Ichigo Uzumaki." He announced, with a slight wink.

Her mind went into overdrive. _'HOLY SHIT! Ino was right! He looks just like Naruto, right down to the eyes and expressions! That means that Naruto's gonna look like him! And this guy is HOT!'_

Ichigo looked at her for a second. "Is your name Sakura? Sakura Haruno?" He asked.

"Y-yes. I am. Why?" She asked timidly.

"Naruto was telling me about you, and I gotta say that he was right." He offhandedly remarked.

"Right about what?" She questioned warily, narrowing her eyes.

"That you were cute." He said with a fox-like smile, making her blush a shade that matched her hair.

"H-he said that...about me?" She asked the elder Uzumaki.

"Yep, you better believe it! The kid's got it bad. But he also said that you weren't too nice to him in school." He said, his bright smile replaced by a light scowl.

"What right do you think you had to judge him so harshly? I was told about you, how you used to be picked on. What gave you the right to do that to someone else, especially someone like myself. Somebody who had no one to rely on, to comfort them, even talk to? It's no small miracle that he hasn't killed himself by now. You might say in your own defense that you never knew, but tell me...did you ever even try to understand? Or did you follow the rest of the crowd and hate him without even knowing the truth?" He told her harshly.

"He and I are so much alike, it breaks my heart. But, I have a feeling that he glossed over the worst of it. The weight of the pain and suffering in his heart could have...no...would have broken a full grown man years ago, but he pulled through. His strength is truly incredible. I'm proud to call him my brother."

Her head slumped. "I know that I wasn't too nice to him. My reasons for it are all pretty lame. I don't even know where to start..." She said, but paused.

He snapped up, "Hey, do you trust me?" He asked her. She looked apprehensive, but his honest expression compelled her to trust him.

"Okay, I'll bite. What do you need?" She asked.

"I need you to SHOW me what happened between you and my otouto. I'm going to jump into your memory, but you will be in control of where I go. You follow?"

"Yeah, what do you need me to do?"

"Just hold still, close your eyes, and concentrait on the memories you want to show me and I'll do the rest."

Sakura complied and held still. She felt a soft touch on her forehead...

_**SAKURA'S MINDSCAPE - HER MEMORIES**_

_Ichigo opened his eyes to find he was in a room, a girls room, on a sunny day. _

_"Hey! I was waiting for you Ichigo-san! Let's go!" Giggled a 7 year old Sakura as she grabbed his hand and guided him to the room's veranda. From there she told him to look at the street. Down below, he saw another Sakura getting pummeled by rocks and mudpies by multiple bullies. _

_"They always picked on me, calling me a bastard child and made fun of my big forehead. Then Ino-chan became my friend and she made the bullies stay away. But one day, Ino-chan got sick and couldn't come out for a week." She narrated._

_Suddenly, a small boy with spiky blond hair and whisker-marks appeared and became her human shield. After an exchange of words, he charged at them. They outnumbered him quite a bit, but he bravely stood his ground, and was beaten down. They eventally lost interest and ran off. She cried over his unconscious body with he woke up. After a small conversation, he offered his shirt to help her clean up and stayed with her to protect her in case the bullies came back. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek._

_"He gave me that shirt to help me clean up. He even made sure nobody looked as I changed into it. That was so sweet of him." She giggled. _

_"He stayed by my side and protected me until I got home, like my very own guardian angel. He even told me I was pretty! Nobody but my mom told me that." She sighed with a dreamy look on her face that made Ichigo give a light chuckle. She grabbed his hand again and brought him down the stairs to their living room with a view for the front door. _

_"On the way home I asked him if he thought I would become a flower. The confusion on his face was so cute, but I put it simply for him. He told me that he thought that I would the most beautiful flower in the world. His words made my heart melt. I asked him if he would be my friend and he got so excited. He was happy to be my friend. He also swore that he would always protect me, and never make my cry or hurt me in any way. He was so kind to me and...he was really cute." The little girl admitted, blushing madly._

_Suddenly, a pink haired woman went answer the door. She opened it and there stood Naruto, his head held down and brushing brightly with his hands behind his back. This made the Sakura at his side giggle sweetly. The woman smiled brightly and called out. Another Sakura came bounding down the stairs. She saw Naruto and she launched herself at him, hugging him tightly. He pulled out a small wooden box and gave it to her, giving her a excited smile. She opened it, and she pulled out a beautiful pink azalea. She was so happy, she hugged him again, this time kissing him deeply on his cheek. He stood there with a sad, but at the same time, happy smile, tears coming down._

_"I thought that I made him upset, but he told me he was really happy. Giving me that flower was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. I told him that I loved him and he said he loved me, too." She said happily, but her expression soon turned sad._

_"But, this happiness didn't last long." She said sadly. _

_She led Ichigo out the door, down the street, and to a small park with a fountain. He saw Sakura with a group of girls and they were talking. Then Naruto ran up to her. The Sakura at Ichigo's side tried to look away and gripped his hand tighter, ashamed of herself. He looked back to the scene before him and saw a blond girl pointing and laughing at Naruto, while Sakura was screaming at him. She then pushed him into a mud puddle and the group started to throw mudpies at him. The look of heartbreak and betrayal of his face made Ichigo's heart wrench. A girl abruptly pointed off in another direction and Ichigo followed their gaze. There was some emo looking kid with raven black hair who looked like he brooded and sulked too much who came over and kicked Naruto in the ribs a few times before walking off. The girls left Naruto to go follow the boy like lovesick puppies, who completely ignored them._

_"I feel so rotten and horrible for doing that to him. He'd been nothing but sweet, kind, and considerate to me." Sakura said, now in her current age. _

_"I told Ino about Naruto, and she got mad. She told me that Naruto was just an idiot and kids would pick on me worse if I continued to be with him. She said that all the girls were into Sasuke Uchiha, and that if I wanted to fit in, I had to like him. I was so desperate to be liked and popular that I completely abandoned Naruto, who was my first love and hero, breaking his innocent and kind heart, all for some stupid one-sided crush on a total jerk! When I found out about the Kyuubi being inside of Naruto, and it being the reason for him being hurt by so many, I just couldn't bear the guilt anymore!" She cried with a voice filled with self-hated and disgust, as she grabbed Ichigo around his waist and sobbed loudly into his stomach._

_He knelt down and gave her a warm, gentle, supportive embrace, letting her get it out of her system. "At least you've seen the error of your ways and are trying to make things right again. It takes courage and strength to admit this. You should be proud of yourself for this, at least. Also, about Kyu... Don't let him know that you know and when he finally tells you, act surprized. He's afraid to tell you because he thinks that you'll hate him forever." He said kindly, giving her a soft, glowing smile._

_"T-thank you, Ichigo-san. Can you take us to the academy? The final part is there." She asked of him. _

_"Of course, chibi-hime." He answered softly. He scooped her up bridal style gently but swiftly, making her blush. Then he bounded with blinding speed over the rooftops to the academy. _

_Upon arrival, he lept into an open window to enter the classroom and set her down. Various scenes played out before them, most ending in violence and the pink haired girl Naruto swore to protect, to never abandon or hurt or make cry, always had a hurtful remark or a fist for the spiky young blond._

_"I wish I had seen the pain he was in, but I was blind and stupid. I should have stood up for him and helped him. I should have noticed that he always knew the answers to the questions he asked, but he was always the lowest scorer. Whenever he had a question, he was ignored. He was always punished for things that weren't his fault or he was completely innocent of. When I thought about, it was clearly sabotage. If he had been treated fairly, he might have been rookie of the year or close to it." She stated somberly. She then took his hand and they walked out of the classroom door into a bright white light._

_**OUTSIDE OF OFUDA'S - REAL WORLD 1948 HRS.**_

Both Ichigo and Sakura opened their eyes to find themselves back where they started.

"Well Sakura, what are your thoughts now that you've gotten it off of your chest?" Ichigo asked, eyebrow raised.

" I have no excuses for the awful things I did and said to him. I only hope I can make it up to him somehow. It's thanks to him that I have Ino. He brought my best friend back to me. He just kept on giving and I threw it all back in his face like a spoiled little girl. He would always have a kind word or smile to help me feel better, but I hit him, screamed at him, put him down and worse!" She cried as her voice trembled.

She then started to sob violently. "Now...Now I don't care what anybody says or thinks. I became worse than the bullies Naruto-kun protected me from. I don't care how long it takes, but I want to make up for all the times I broke his kind and selfless heart! I want to return all of the love, warmth, and kindness he's given to me! I want to give him my heart, like he gave me his! I don't ever want him to leave me! I love him! I love Naruto Uzumaki!"

Sakura collapsed into Ichigo, crying her eyes out for a few moment's, until she passed out from exaustion in his arms. He simply picked her up bridal style.

"Don't worry, little one. I will take care of you and take you home." He said gently and with a massive burst of speed, he seemingly disappeared from the street, vanishing into thin air.

_**ICHIRAKU RAMEN STAND 2015 HRS.**_

Naruto definately wasn't his normal self. Instead of his normal 5 large bowls of miso pork, he only had one medium and he even ate slowly. Now only a very select few people could claim to know the inner workings of one Naruto Uzumaki, 2 of which worked at this stand. They could tell something was very wrong with the young, blond, ramen addicted jinchuuriki. Teuchi Ichiraku and his daughter Ayame knew, not thought, KNEW, something was off with their favorite customer.

"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" Ayame asked with worry.

His head snapped up. "N-no-nothing, Ayame-neechan. I'm fine, really. I just got stuff on my mind, that's all." He said with a uneasy chuckle.

"Oh. Okay, Naruto-kun. But if you want to talk, I'm always here and so's my dad, okay?" The ramen girl said to her psuedo cousin/little brother.

Ayame always held the young blond in much affection, considering him part of the family. She knows about the fox, being 6 when it struck, but she and her father were smart enough to know that he wasn't the Kyuubi. After all that Ayame's seen him go through, her heart went out to him. Teuchi, her dad, saw him as sort of a nephew. They both like his generally bright, sunny nature.

"Oi, Jii-san. I'm done." Naruto sighed. He pulled out 'Gama-chan', his frog wallet, to pay his bill.

Teuchi just pushed the money back to him. "It's on the house, kid. Look, maybe you should get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning and I'll have your normal Miso Pork ready for you, alright?" Teuchi said with concern etched on his face.

"Sleep. That sounds good." Naruto yawned out." G'night, jii-san, nee-chan." He said as he dragged himself to his apartment.

_'Better leave the door unlocked for aniki.'_ He thought as he stumbled into bed, letting sleep overtake him.

_**"Sweet dreams, my little Kit."**_

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 1955 HRS.**_

Ichigo appeared in a blur on the Haruno doorstep. He knew where the house was because while in Sakura's memories, he gleened the address. He gulped loudly as he knocked on the door. The door was opened by a pink haired woman in her late 20's, who he could only guess was Sakura's mother. She gasped when she saw him.

"Minato-kun...N-no...impossible..." Was what she managed to stammer out, until she hit the deck, out cold.

"Aw, man!" He whined as he put Sakura down on their living room couch and picked up Ms. Haruno, putting her in a recliner.

"...no-san."

"Ha...no-s..."

"Haruno-san, are you alright?" Ichigo asked with worry when she came around.

She stared at him for a moment, then launched herself at him, " Minato-kun! I knew you weren't dead! I've missed you!" She cried.

"Whoa there, ma'am! I think you got me confused with somebody else!"

She immeadiately backed off, getting into a defensive stance. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" She snapped.

"Take it easy, ma'am. Calm down. My name is Ichigo Uzumaki. I ran into your daughter on my way home..." He started as he explained the whole story of their encounter in front of the restaurant.

Sakura shifted and mumbled in her sleep. " Mmm...Ichi...go-san...thank you..."

Her mother smiled and giggled a bit. " It seems that she trusts you."

"Ano, Haruno-san. What do you say we put her to bed before I tell you my story, ne?" He proposed.

She mused for a moment,_' Hmm. He seems genuinely concerned for her well-being. He seems like a nice young man and he looks so much like Naruto-kun that it's unreal. Maybe I'll find out why...'_

"Okay, follow me." She said with a smile. Ichigo gently scooped Sakura up off the couch.

As he did this, she stirred and put her arms around his neck, her eyes opening in groggy haze. "Mmm...Ichigo-san?" She mumbled.

He simply continued to carry her up to her room. "Shh. You've a long day, little one. Just rest now." He said soothingly.

She let out a sound of contentment and shut her eyes again, a peaceful smile played on her lips. Her mother watched in awe as this strange and powerful looking young man handled her little girl ever so gently, as if she were his own daughter.

He gently and carefully tucked her into bed. "Sweet dreams, little one." He said quietly.

As he closed her door, Ms. Haruno fixed him with the warmest, most grateful smile she could muster. "Thank you, Ichigo-kun. Dispite how young you seem, you handled that beautifully. Now I know how Naruto-kun turned out as good as he did. He had you for an example. You Uzumaki's are really something special." She finished, smiling sweetly at Ichigo, who had an embarassed smile on his flushed face.

"Also, I'm sorry for scaring you like that. You just looked like a man I greatly admired and helped me out when I was pregnant with Sakura. Both you and Naruto bear such a striking resemblance to him, it's uncanny. The same beautiful blue eyes, the same cherubic face..."She sighed, nostalgia all over her face.

"I wished he were her father, at least for the little time I knew him. Your's and Naruto's personalities mirror his. It's like he's come back to life, within the two of you."

Ichigo's face was so red, he could make a tomato jealous. "I raised her alone the best I could. It was difficult, but we pulled through and we've been happy. The only happier times were when Sakura was born, when she met Ino and Naruto, when she graduated from the Academy, and now, you."

"Me? Why me? This is my first full day here in Konoha."

"It's the way you handled Sakura. She can be a bit of a handful with her stubborness and temper, but she felt completely and tottally safe with you. Only Naruto and I ever made her feel that way." She replied, smiling sweetly at the blue-eyed blonde.

"Ano, Haruno-san..." He started to ask, but she cut him off.

"Hitomi. Just Hitomi will do, Ichigo-kun." She said kindly.

Ichigo blushed and chuckled sheepishly. "Eh, heh heh. Gomen, Hitomi."

_'They are both sooo cute! I wish I had met this one when I was younger! One Uzumaki running around is a great catch for any woman, but now there's two of 'em! Those high and mighty clans have some stiff competition now!'_ "Oh! Sorry, I was lost in thought."

"It's okay, Hitomi. Well what I meant to ask was..." He paused, trying think of a way to ask her without sounding like an ass. She was really nice, and he didn't want to screw the pooch on this.

"You wanted to know about her father and where he is, didn't you?" She said, as if she knew what he was going to ask.

"H-hai. Sorry, I-I shouldn't have asked that."

"No, no, Ichigo-kun. It's okay. I'll tell you. A year before the Kyubbi attacked, I had just made Jounin. On my first mission after attaining my rank, I met a man who was highly sought after, because of his family's wealth and influence due of their seat on the high council. We...We made love on that mission. He told me he loved me, but when I told him that I was pregnant with his child, he... he..." She tried to finish, but the words got stuck in her throat.

She started to sob. "He abandoned me! I found out that he had a wife and children already! He used me! I was nothing but a fling to him! That bastard stole my virginity! I was only 15 and he was my first!" She sobbed.

Ichigo's eyes widened. He did the only thing he could do to console the grief-stricken woman. He held her tightly, while stroking her long pink hair and whispering to her, "Shh. It's okay. Let it out. I don't mind." In a soothing manner. After a few minutes, he finally got her to calm down.

"Thank you, Ichigo-kun." She whispered gratefully. "You are the first man I've ever let touch me in 12 years. Your aura, it feels...so warm. I feel I can trust you. I was a silly girl back then, and I paid the price for it." She admitted. "If only I'd met you sooner..." She added, though Ichigo couldn't hear her.

She recovered rather quickly. "So, since you're here, I assume you're going to be a shinobi, right?" She asked.

"Yeah. Hokage-sama is going to give me a placement test to see where I stand and what rank I should be. It's going to be a three part exam on ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. My opponents are respectively Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuuhi, and Maito Gai. This is where it gets tough. You see, I don't know any ninjutsu yet, or even genjutsu. All I have is taijutsu and some skills with swords and staves."

"Wha... Those three are considered experts in their fields, the elite! But maybe I can help you...what is your affinity?"

"I know this is going to sound strange, but Hokage-sama said I have all five affinities. The story for which I'll tell you, but you've gotta promise me that you won't tell anyone. The Hokage already knows, as I've told him everything. Now, hold still and open your mind. I'm letting you inside my memories." Ichigo said, using his strange memory ability.

_A/N: Sakura's home life and family are such a blank page, that anyone with some imagination can whip something up. The scenes with Sakura's memories were inspired by Mr. Lee's Flower Tales Series, First Love, Last Chance. Also, I'm giving Kakashi a break in this story and making him one of Naruto's supporters. Next chapter will be an in-depth look into Ichigo's origins._


	4. Origins of the Guardian

_**Here is the next installment of my fic, The Guardian Angel. This chapter will fill in the blanks of Ichigo's origins and past, hopefully. Points to whomever can guess where I got the idea for the world overview! Enjoy!**_

_****UPDATE****_

_**I made some changes to the story that I've been meaning to do for over a year now, but never got around to doing. Since I had some down time and my other fics had been updated, I figured that now was a good time to do so. I hope you all enjoy these small changes I've made. **_

_**ORIGINS : THE GUARDIAN ANGEL**_

_**A lost soul, A warrior, seeking redemption and vengence. Through his pain and suffering, he remains strong as he searches for his purpose as he is shunned by those he swore to protect. In his heart, he awaits a sign from the heavens that he feels may never come, but still keeps the faith. Finally he finds his calling, and the family and acceptance he always longed for. For these special people in his life, he will become their guardian angel, one who would give his life, or even his very soul, to protect them...**_

_It was the turn of the 22nd century. The world was split into three main superpowers._

_The American Contenental Nations, the ACN, which was comprised of North and South America, Canada, Guam, Japan, Austrailia, and the many island nations to, in, and around the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean._

_Next is the European Union, the EU. This superpower is made up of all of continental Europe, most of Africa amd a handful of former Soviet Bloc nations._

_Finally, there is the Chinese-Russo Alliance, the CRA. They are comprised of The Asian continent, many arab nations in the Persian Gulf excluding Israel and Turkey, and Egypt._

_During this time, the CRA was starting to flounder. Their natural resources and food production failed to keep up with their wasteful expenditures and booming population. Their Siberian oil fields that were found in the early 21st century were completely exhausted and 90% of their revenue was tapped out. Civil unrest was wide-spread and their political standing with the rest of the world was slipping away from them. The top brass of the military-run CRA had ordered the start of a weapons project that would change the world forever, human weapons. The project name was Project Gligamesh, after the ultimate warrior in Norse legends._

_For this, the CRA begn to pull in scientists and talent from all corners of the globe, from the martial arts for the mapping and programming of their styles and moves, to medical and nano sciences. Originally, they tried to used fully grown adults and juveniles for the "conversion" process, but the Nano-machines that were injected into the bodies of the test subject rejected their hosts, killing them moments afterwards. It was then discovered that the bodies would need to be in an early stage of development, in their late infantcy to toddler years, for the Nanos to take root and the resulting colony to grow with its host._

_To this effect, CRA agents began to snatch up 20 children from all over the world for the sake of the project. The theory proved to be successful. Over the course of 10 years, only 4 children survived the following brutal and in-humane experiment and modifications, production numbers 4, 7, 12, and 15. The body modifications and genetic manipulation caused the creation of an entirely new race of humans. The 4 survivors now possessed superhuman strength, speed and reflexes, agility, and rapid healing. From the Nano-machines, they gained an immunity to almost all poisons and illnesses, their physical attibutes were further enhanced, and they developed an extremely quick learning curve. The martial arts that were copied down were programmed directly into them via their Nanos._

_Over the course of 2 years, the four children, now 15 years old, were working out better than they hoped. They had some problems in the beginning when the kids wouldn't kill, but they bypassed that with a direct hack of their Nanos. With that hack in place, the children were little more than puppets, being controlled physically while they were mentally aware of what their bodies were doing. They were forced to watch all of horrifying and nightmareish things they had unwillingly commited, but could do nothing to stop themselves._

_They were approaching their breaking point and something had to be done. Eventually, they came up with a method of blocking out the hack, and regaining control over their bodies. This was discovered by the researchers, though. The leaders of the CRA came to a decision, to destroy their creations before they could turn on them. They were destroyed one by one. Production Number 15 was the last one. As he was led to the chamber where his bretheren were killed, he attempted to reach out to them, but when he failed to contact them, he knew something wasn't right. When he reached the chamber, he discovered the bodies of his "brother" and "sisters". At first, he was stricken by grief, as he collapsed to his knees in sadness. Just as his creators were about to destroy him, something inside of him snapped._

_He was surrounded by a power that they had never seen before. It started as a gentle blue glow, then evolved into a violent explosion as 15's rage came to it peak. He proceeded to lay watse to the labs and base that saw the creation of his kind and their deaths. No one was spared in the carnage that followed. Reseachers, scientists, security personnel, all were killed in brutal manners in a grief and rage driven onslaught by this force of nature given life. Project Siegfried was no more. The Erebus labs were completely destroyed. The only surviving security camera, before it went offline, captured the image of a blonde haired teen with blue lines on his skin, his body and eyes giving off an eerie blue glow standing amid the flames and ruins, before he vanished into the Siberian wastelands, like a ghost._

_P.N 15 wandered about the world, working as a mercenary, amongst other things. He slowly learned about what it meant to be human over time as he learned about diffenrent cultures and peoples and worked simple jobs, like his favorite one as a cook. Although, he constantly had to duck and dodge CRA agents whose goal was to recapture him and study just what it was that made him so much more powerful than the rest of his kind._

_For years, he managed to avoid recapture while gathering intelligence and recon on the CRA's weapons research efforts and military build up. He used all of this information to plan and execute strikes on their forces in retaliation for what they did to his kind and to prevent them from ever repeating the same things ever again. Over time, he unlocked more abilities that his Nanos presented. One was the ability to hack into and intercept radio tranmissions, as well as jam them. Another was the ability to hack computer networks and rewrite their data and even download the information that he desired. Lastly, he could control machines to a certain extent. He had to physically touch the machine to do so and it only lasted for a few moments._

_In the year 2119, P.N 15 is now 21 years old. He got wind of the rebirth of the Siegfried project, and of temporal amd time/space research being carried out at the Erebus Labs, the same place he had wiped off the map years ago. He rushed into the Siberian wastes once again, this time to take the wicked and twisted project that bore him down, forever this time._

_When he finally crossed the wastelands and made it to the facility, he found that the security was oddly light. From what he remembered, the place was guarded like a fortress. He bypassed a security lock and slipped into the labs. As he made his way to the Siegfried labs he noted again that security was too light. Along the way he sabotaged several systems and planted bombs, just to be sure that there would be nothing to rebulid this time. He also fitted them with a Dead Man Trigger, just in case things went south._

_He finally managed to slice the security locks on the Armory so he could get through to the Erebus labs. He looked around at the weaponry and was a little startled. He found a cache of M41A Pulse Rifles, 14.5 mm Far Eye Sniper Rifles, .45 Caliber Sabre SMGs, 7.62 mm M224 "Bullet Hose" LMGs, M4 Auto Magnums, M9 Dragoon Anti-Armor Launchers, LS 13 "Bulldog" Semi-Auto Shotguns, along with a host of CRA weapons like a bunch of cheaply made Degtreyev DD-34 Assualt Rifles, Tropov pistols and some Chengdu Shotguns. All of which had enough ammunition to spark another World War._

_"ACN Weaponry? What the hell are they doing here?" He wondered as he inspected the weapons with suspiction_

_Suddenly, all of the life blared to life and revealed a ambush. The CRA's special forces teams had been assembled to take him down. He had made himself into a major threat over the years and they now wanted to end him for good, so they brought out their best to do the job right. The massive room had been completely sealed off by explosion proof shutters and the walls had been reinforced due to what happened the last time he went berserk. All of the sudden, the Spec Ops teams opened fire, but thanks to his nano-enhanced reflexes and speed, he was given the opportunity of fight back. Over the course of five bloody minutes, all 40 of the elite soldiers lay dead, dying, or incapacitated._

_This turn of events infuriated the CRA high command, who wanted to be there in person to witness 15's demise. They orderd the deployment of their three new human weapons, if you could call them that. What thy did was they took 3 corpses, and manipulted their bodies with nano-machines, like grotesque puppets. 15 sank to his knees when he saw them, but not in fear, but in sadness and agony. The three bodies were those of the ones he considered his brother and sisters, P.N's 4, 7, and 12. His face contorted in pain and anger, now being forced to fight the bodies of his loved ones as tears streaked down his face from his crystal blue eyes._

_With a cry of fury and a heavy heart, his desperate fight for survival began. The battle was long and brutal. No matter what he did or tried, they wouldn't stay down. When he was locked in a stalemate with 4, she called out to him softly. _

_"Please...help us...set us...free." She whispered sadly, tears began to fall from their eyes, as if agreeing with her. Their wish was clear, they wanted their brother to free them from their torment and help them rest in peace. He nodded and lunged. In what seemed like a split second, he had struck all three of them in the heart, making it explode in their chests. _

_"Thank...you...We...will watch...over you...always." 4 called to him as they all fell, their souls finally at peace. 15 sank to his knees, both from exhaustion and heartbreak. His body was riddled with various injuries, that were beginning to heal._

_A surviving Spec Ops soldier spotted this opportunity and put 4 high-calibre rounds into his chest. He skidded back from the impact of the rounds, but recovered enough to sling a throwing knife into his skull, killing him instantly. He suddenly felt that something was wrong. His healing wasn't kicking in. He felt a small electrical pulse from his wounds and figured it out. The bullets that he was shot with were designed to scramble his abilities as long as they remained in him. Since the four wounds were in his chest and around his heart, he was slowly dying._

_He staggered over to a cluster of explosive canisters in a corner of the Armory to start a chain reaction with the other bombs he had planted throughout of the Erebus labs. He felt that if he was going down, the complex was coming with him. After all, he would get to be with his loved ones again._

_"At least...I'll take you bastards...down with me!" He managed to yell as he detonated the bombs._

_Due to the explosions, a machine that dealt with temporal experiments exploded, due to damage suffered from the wanton destruction. The result was a tear in the very fabric of time and space. Slowly, the tear evolved into a vortex that began to pull him inside. He fought its pull, but in his weakened state, he couldn't. He then detonated the bombs just as the dark vortex claimed him and nearly all of the weaponry and ammo with him, along with the dead soldiers nearby._

_The other side of the temporal wormhole spit him out unceremoniously inside of an office of sorts. There were men in masks with swords drawn on him, with a blonde haired kid, an old man in a strange hat, and a man with a scar in the bridge of his nose staring at him. He attempted to stand, but he collapsed in a heap as he succumbed to his wounds..._

**REAL WORLD : HARUNO RESIDENCE**

After he was done, Hitomi clasped her hands over her mouth and started to cry, this time for the young blonde in front of her. She just couldn't believe that people that monsterous and evil ever existed. She clutched him for dear life as she tried to regain some form of self-control. After calming down, she realised that she had hugged him again. He was the first man she had ever touched like that since Sakura was born.

He got her to calm down and she understood the nature of his abilities and elemental powers. "These things that those people did to you sound extremely powerful. I can teach you some basic C-Rank jutsu to add to the three basics Hokage-sama gave you." She stated as she when to a cabinet and pulled out 5 scrolls. Each jutsu was of a different element.

_**DOTON : DORYUUHEKI**_

_**SUITON : SUITAIHOU**_

_**KATON : GOUKAKYUU**_

_**FUUTON : DAITOPPA**_

_**RAITON : RAIKURAI**_

"Please let me know if you need any assitance or advice. I'm still an active jounin, after all." She winked.

"Thank you Hitomi-san. Well, I'd better get going, or Naruto's gonna think I went and jumped ship." He said standing up, with fatigue present in his voice. She got up as well, walking him out the door and to the street. He simply waved, turned, and vanished in a blur.

Hitomi's eyes went wide with shock. _'What the hell was that? There wasn't any chakra! That was pure speed! He's incredible!'_

_A/N: Another chapter over with. As for where I got the idea for the world view, I got it from Gundam 00, an amalgamation of fiction novels and my imagination. As for Sakura's mom, she's had a rough time for the past 12 years and suffered from mild Androphobia. However, since Ichigo resembles the one of the only men she trusted, the Yondaime, she loosened up and felt compelled to open up to him, along with his affiliation with Naruto and learning of his past. Hitomi was a teenage mother who was abandoned, which really happens if you pay attention to the world around you, but she was one of the lucky ones, who found people to help her and supported her. The last thing she would allow is the same thing happening to her daughter. Enough bullshit from me, any questions, throw 'em at me. _

_JAYSEN, signing off 'til next time._


	5. Training and a date?

_**ICHIRAKU RAMEN STAND 2130 HRS.**_

Ichigo decided to enjoy the brisk night air, when one of the unfortunate side-effects of his 'enhancements' arose. In order to keep his increased metabolism steady and his body functional, he needs food. Lots of it. Foods high in iron were preferable, as his nanos reproduced themselves from the iron in his blood and were powered by his body's bio-electricity. He happened upon a small ramen stand while trying to stagger back to Naruto's apartment.

_'Ichiraku Ramen, huh? Guess I'll give it a shot. I'm too damn hungry to complain and if this keeps up, I'll run out of energy. I'll really be screwed then.' _He thought as he walked up to the small stand and lifted the curtain.

"Welcome to Ichira...Naruto-kun?" Ayame said as she noticed him.

"Huh? Oh, no. I'm Ichigo. Ichigo Uzumaki..." He started before he was cut off.

"Uzumaki?! How?! I'm warning you, leave Naruto-kun alone!!" Ayame burst out, very angry. If she was around, nobody, but NOBODY, messed with her Naruto and got away with it. Teuchi heard what was going out and stepped out.

"Settle down, Ayame. I think there is more to this story." The old ramen chef said, fixing Ichigo with a look that expected an explaination.

Ichigo told them the same cover story that he told Ino. "...And so, I'm here to stay. My wandering days are finally over. I'm home."

Ayame had a downcast look. " I'm sorry, Ichigo-san. It's just...so many people have hurt him and I just want to protect him as much as I can. I really do care for him."

"It's quite alright, Ayame-san. Hokage-sama was kind enough to bring me up to speed on Naruto's treatment here in the village. It's nothing short of sickening and appalling. His condition and what happened to this village are in no way his fault. There is no excuse for their behaivor. I will NOT hesitate to protect my kid brother, from ANYTHING or ANYONE and by ANY means nescessary." Ichigo finished, rage barely contained in his tone.

"Thank you. Thank you for doing this and standing by him. You truly are heaven sent for him."

"No thanks are nesscessary. I just don't want his life to turn out like mine. I want to spare him my fate and give him a better life."

Ayame felt her heart go out to the new Uzumaki in the same way it did for Naruto. "So, what'll ya have?" She asked, regaing her saucy nature.

"Ah, I'll with go the largest Beef ramen you've got with extra Green Onions, and fried egg,too." He said hungrily, a perfect imitation of Naruto.

Ayame giggled and belted out, "Got that, dad?!"

"Yep! Comin' right up!"

While he waited, she asked him how his night was and he told her about is night went. He told her the story of his ruined date and how she flipped out when she heard his last name.

"That's awful! Are you alright?!"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. If she can't accept Naruto, then to hell with her. We don't need her. We've got enough to worry about as is."

Teuchi popped out with the biggest bowl he'd ever seen and slammed it down infront of Ichigo. The smell was intoxicating to him as he took his first bite carefully. His eyes snapped wide and he literally up-ended the whole bowl, almost downing it in one shot. Both Ichiraku's stared in sheer shocked amazment. He quickly ordered 3 more bowls of the same and repeated the feat.

_' Yep. He's an Uzumaki, alright! These guy's are a goldmine!_

"Ah hah hah!! That was great!! So, what's the damage?"

" Let's see, 4 King-sized bowls of beef ramen, with the 'Uzumaki' discount," Teuchi winked,"That'll be 2,150 Ryo."

Ichigo reached into his new wallet and paid the bill. "There ya go, Pops! I'd better run on home now. G'night, Teuchi-jii, Ayame-chan!" He called out as he ran off toward Naruto's apartment.

"Ayame, I swear God loves us!! Another ramen fiend on the same level as Naruto!" Teuchi cried out happily. "And this one IS around your age..." He nudged his daughter, whose blushes weren't lost on him.

"Well, he's kinda handsome, and he looks just like an older Naruto-kun...Hey, Dad!!" She said, embarassed by her dad's comment. His laughter carried on as they closed down for the night.

_**NARUTO'S APARTMENT 2215 HRS.**_

Naruto stirred and woke up at the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Aniki, 'zat you?" Naruto called out wearily.

"Yeah. It's just me, kiddo." He replied.

"Whoa, hey! How'd your date go?! Didja kiss her?! Was she pretty?!" He asked excitedly.

"Whoa there, little buddy!" He chuckled out in amusement. "The date was a bust. I guess our name isn't too welcome around here. When she found out, she flipped out and dumped me 10 minutes into the date."

"WHAT?!?! What's her damn problem?!

"Yeah! Screw that! Who needs her if she can't accept you, otouto."

"Y-you really mean, that?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Of course I do! I ain't your aniki for nothing, you know." Ichigo replied with a warm smirk.

Naruto couldn't hold back anymore, giving his new big brother a hug, crying for a good minute before calming down. "Now, now. Dry up, 'cause the rest of the night was a lot more interesting. Now, sit still and close your eyes. Don't open them until I tell you, got it?"

" Yeah, I got it!" He chirped as he did as he was instructed.

_**ICHIGO'S MINDSCAPE - MEMORIES**_

"Okay. Open your eyes now." Naruto opened his eyes to find he was in a long hallway with wooden doors lining it on both sides. Ichigo guided them down the hallway to a door that had a metal plaque that said ' past 24 hours'. He opened the door to see a large wooden conference table with comfortable leather chairs lining it with a projector on top and a screen on the wall.

Ichigo flipped the switch on the projector, "Alright, just kick back and enjoy the show." he said, also handed him a tub of popcorn and a soda.

As the Naruto munched, he saw everything that his brother had been through that night, even seeing Sakura's confession of love and his adventure at the Haruno house. Naruto just looked like a deer in the headlights.

"She...She loves me...She loves me!!! Hallelujah!! Sweet Jesus!!! YES!!! What ever gods sent you to me, aniki, thank you!!! Ever since you've come here, things just keep getting better!!" Naruto cried, the happiest he's ever been in his whole life, as he hugged his brother. Ichigo shed a slight tear. _'A real family, finally.'_

"I swear to you, Naruto, that I will always care for you and protect you. You are my family and nothing will ever change that. I love you, too, little brother." He said as he returned the hug, but switched gears.

"Now that you know how she feels, we've gotta come up with a game plan. Firstly, calm down and slow down. Secondly, think about what you say and do first. The rest of you is fine the way it is, now you just gotta play it cool and smooth. Also, that nindo of yours...I think I'll adopt it, too. We can call it the "Uzumaki Way".

When he heard this, Naruto's eyes were wet with tears, his face beaming with pride. "Hey, aniki. You said you don't have any ninjutsu, so I'll teach you the _**KAGE BUNSHIN**_, my prized jutsu."

"Really? Thanks! I'll need all the help I can get." He said as they set to work on the jutsu.

After an hour, "_**KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!!"**_ Ichigo shouted as 3 clones popped into existence.

"Cool! You did it, aniki! Nice one!" Naruto shouted. One of the clones whispered something to the other clones, but were dispelled. Ichigo felt something strange, but decided to experiment with it. " Hey Naruto, make a clone real quick. I want to try something."

"Oh, okay." Naruto did as he was asked and made a clone. Ichigo took the clone out of earshot and whispered somthing into its ear and then punched it to make it dispel. He walked back over to Naruto, whose eyes were the size of dinner plates.

He jumped up and grabbed his collar, "YOU DID WHAT WITH SAKURA-CHAN'S MOM?!?!?" He yelled.

Ichigo laughed, albeit, uneasily, but he dispelled Naruto's anger. "Chill out, kiddo! I was only joking!" He chuckled nervously.

"Although, she's pretty hot for a mother of a 12 year old..." He trailed off. He quickly caught himself, coughed and changed the subject. "Anyway, do you get the point I was trying to drive home?"

Naruto thought hard for a moment. _' He said something to my clone and when he dispelled it, I somehow knew what he said...Wait!...That means anything my clones learn, I learn! Cool! Thanks, aniki!' _"That means training just got a lot easier!" Naruto smirked.

"Yup. Something that would take months to learn could be learned in days or even hours, depending on the number of clones you have working on it. I think this will work for chakra control exercises, too. The only we, the originals, have to work on is physical training. Not having to split up your training time to learn jutsu personally means you can devote more time to your body, making you stronger, faster. But enough for tonight. Let's hit the sack, okay?"

"Okay, aniki." With that, the brothers Uzumaki opened the door to the room they were in and walked in the light, exiting his mindscape. They both slept, prepareing for the next day.

_**UZUMAKI APARTMENT, ONE WEEK LATER AT 0630 APRIL 22nd**_

Both brothers weren't exactly morning people, as they stumbled around getting ready for the day. Naruto was going to meet with his team for training and Ichigo was going to train himself. The previous night, Naruto was kind enough to also go through the Henge and Kawarimi as well, so now Ichigo has the basics down. He left the apartment and found a nice clearing for training and set to work, summoning up 10 clones to work on each technique and both exercises. He then summoned up one more clone to spar with, wanting to get some taijutsu work in.

_**TRAINING GROUND #7 0730 HRS**_

Team 7 sat at their usual waiting spot at the bridge, awaiting their perpetually tardy sensei's arrival. Sakura noticed that Naruto was a pretty quiet, like he's mulling something over in his mind.

_'I wonder what's wrong? Is he still thinking about what happened a last week?'_

"Hey, um, Naruto? Do you...wanna talk? You know, about what happened a few days ago?" She asked him softly, not wanting to scare him away.

"Oh...sure, Sakura-chan." He replied nervously.

Sasuke watched the scene in front of him with his usual mask of indifference, but underneath was an entirely different story._ 'What the hell?! She's usually on me like glue. What's next, Kakashi showing up on time?'_

"Hey, dobe. What's your problem?" He almost demanded of Naruto while he and Sakura were trying to talk seriously. Naruto was about to say something, but was beaten to the punch by Sakura.

"Okay. First off, that was really rude, Sasuke. Secondly," She paused, but only to add more venom in her voice.

"Don't EVER call him that again, got that?" She finished with a sharp glare. Naruto was every bit as surprized as Sasuke, mainly due to the fact that he thought she was still obsessing over the raven-haired 'avenger'.

"Hn. How annoying." Sasuke spat, trying to underplay his rage. _'How dare that...trash...turn what's mine against me. Nobody gets in the way of what I want. Especially you, dobe.'_

Kakashi chose this moment to arrive. "Yo." Was his casual greeting.

Naruto just sighed, "Honestly, sensei. Will you ever show up on time?" He asked.

"Well, that aside, I think we'll do some light training with a D-rank mission later for today. Any questions before we start?"

Sasuke spoke up "Yeah, I do. Who are these two?" He pointed to Sakura and Naruto.

"They can't be real. She hasn't screamed at or hit the dobe once since we've been here. Also, she's usually following me around like a animal in heat, but she stuck up for the dobe..." He would have continued, but he was cut off by a sudden slap from Sakura. Sasuke stood there, stunned. One of his most rabid and loyal fan-girls just struck him in cold fury.

"Sakura-chan! It's okay...I'm used to it." Naruto said, trying to placate the furious cherry blossom, but after all that she had learned about Naruto and the hell on earth that was his past and present, on top of her revelation of her feelings for him, she wasn't about to let Sasuke get away with this.

"No...It's not right. It's just not fair! Why should that bastard get away with it?! You deserve better than that!" She exclaimed.

Naruto lowered his head, with a weak smile. "Thank you, Sakura-chan. Thank you..." He whispered.

Kakashi interjected before things really headed south. "Sasuke, don't you think you should work WITH your teammates instead of insulting or belittling them?" The copy nin chided. Sasuke simply huffed and stormed off to the other side of the bridge.

Kakashi had a nagging, bad feeling about this. _'Hmm. Sasuke seems to be a pretty sore loser and very possessive of even his former fangirls, seeing them as his property. I'm really gonna have to watch out for this.' _He thought as he began to spar with him, giving Naruto and Sakura time to talk.

"Sakura-chan...Why? Why did you defend me? I thought that you liked Sasuke?" He asked her.

Sakura bristled at the mere mention of his name, but calmed herself. "Naruto, remember when Ino...walked around in your mind?"

Naruto had a sinking feeling about what would come up. "Y-yeah, I remember."

The pinkette fidgeted slightly, trying not to scare him off. "She, told me about what she saw...and about your 'tenant'."

Naruto felt a sudden rage build within him. _'Dammit! Ino swore that she'd let ME tell her!'_

Sakura noticed his dicomfort and continued. "I know about the Kyuubi, but I couldn't care less about that. You've always been you, Ino made sure I understood that and I'm glad that she did. If she hadn't, I'd have been just as bad as the villagers that hurt you."

Naruto's eyes widened in hope. "Y-you mean, you don't mind? About me having a demon inside of me?"

"Of course not. You've never been anything but considerate and kind to me. I thought that it was time to return the favor."

"Thank you, Sakura-chan." He whispered quietly. Getting his burden off of his chest made talking to her a lot easier, as they began to make small talk. They eventually made their way to what happened last week.

"Yeah, poor guy. That woman he was on a date with was so mean to him. He didn't do or say anything to deserve what she did to him." Sakura commented on the disasterous date Ichigo had that night.

"Tell me about it. He showed me what happened with a cool memory jutsu that let me actually watch and hear that happened like a movie."

Sakura mused for a moment. _' So that stange jutsu works both ways...That's pretty neat.'_ She thought.

"Also, Sakura-chan...do...do you...l-l-like m-me?" He stammered out. "O-of course if you don't like me like that, then I understand!" He finished quickly and nervously.

He saw Sakura get visibly upset and braced himself for impact. But instead, a soft pair of hands reached out and gently caressed is face instead of pulverizing it. He chanced opening up his eyes to see Sakura gazing sadly at him while she idly stroked his whisker-marks.

"S-S-Sa-Sa-Sakura-chan?" He gasped out, totally confused. She replied by pulling him into a tight embrace. Naruto's look of confusion remained while tears poured down his whiskered cheeks.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan, but I have to ask you something." He choked out.

Sakura saw his tears and replied in the most soothing tone she had, "What is it, Naruto? What's wrong?"

"Aniki also showed me what happened when you met him and the walk through your memories and what you said after that. Did you really mean it? Do you really l-l-lo..." He stammered, but she stopped him with soft, slender finger to his lips.

"Yes. I did mean it. And I do. More than you'll ever know, Naruto-kun." She said as she hugged him tightly once again, putting him at ease.

"You know, he's a really nice guy. He pushed that awful date out of his mind just to help me out. He felt so warm, like how I imagined a father would feel. After that mindwalk, I cried myself to sleep in his arms. He even carried me home to my mom and she said he tucked me into bed, again like a father would. She told me he would do anything to protect you and help you. She said that his past was awful, just like yours. And just like you, he pulled through on his own strength. It's like my guardian angel has a guardian angel of his own. I promise that I'll train hard and be strong enough to stand by you. I'll never leave you, or hurt you, just like you promised me back then."

"Aniki, whatever god sent you to me, thank you. For everything." Naruto said silently while Sakura pulled him in tighter.

Sasuke looked at them in disgust. "So there's another blonde baka running around here? That's the last thing we need...more common trash running around." He sneered.

Before anyone could react, a familiar voice rang out into the clearing. "What the hell's your damage, kid? Who do you think you are, anyway?"

Suddenly, a blonde blur zipped in silently behind Sasuke. "BOO." Was all Ichigo said, but it made Sasuke jump out of his skin with fright.

"Hey! Aniki, what's up? Naruto inquired jovially.

"Ah, nothing special, little buddy. Just checking out this whole team and mission thing for myself." He paused as he noticed Sakura standing there too.

"Ah! Sakura-chan! So, how are you feeling on this fine day, young lady?" He asked her with a warm and playful smile on his face that screamed Uzumaki.

"I'm doing great, Ichigo-san! I'm feeling a lot better now!" She replied brightly as he ruffled her pink tresses affectionately, causing her to giggle.

Sasuke simply glared at the blonde newcomer. "Hey you, dobe #2. Fight me." He said arrogantly.

"Man, talk about the spoon in the knife drawer." Ichigo muttered. This kid's superiority complex was getting old, fast.

"Hey, slow down there, champ. Don't you think we should introduce ourselves first?"

Sasuke snarled at the gesture as he launched himself at Ichigo with a savage ferocity. His first attack was a roundhouse kick to the blonde's face, but said blonde just shifted slightly to avoid it. The Uchiha quickly lost his temper as he unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks at the older blonde, just for him to leisurely weave his way through them and deliver a painful flick to his nose. Sasuke lept back, his rage and hatred boiling over as he sent out a hailstorm of kunai and shuriken at him. Ichigo was about to dodge, he saw that Naruto and Sakura would get hit if he did that. So instead, he used one of his new jutsu to rectify the problem.

_**FUUTON : DAITOPPA!!**_

With that, Ichigo deflected all the weapons and kept the bystanders safe. He glared at the supposed avenger with cold fury. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! You could have killed your own teammates!"

"Ha! What do I care about the lives of some idiotic dobe and a weak, useless fangirl? " He sneered as he ran through hand seals, stopping on tiger.

_**"KATON : GOUKAKYU NO JUTSU!!!" **_He screamed out as a massive fireball rushed over to them.

_'Bastard!!' _He growled inwardly as he quickly grabbed the two kids and disappeared from view as the fireball caught them.

The fireball diappated and Sasuke walked over to inspect his handiwork. He saw the two smoldering bodies that he identified as his teammates with a third corpse draped over them as if trying to shield them. His smirk became a nasty, vile grin.

"Hnhnhn. So much for 2 pieces of trash and a useless bitch. She could have at least bore my children before I killed her. That's all she was useful for anyway, just some pleasure."

Suddenly, the 'corpses' burst into clouds of smoke and Ichigo sped in behind Sasuke quickly and stealthly. Without wasting any words or time, he gave the Uchiha a swift chop to the neck, knocking him unconscious.

"Be grateful I didn't kill you, you little bastard." He said with venom in his words.

"That pride and arrogance will always a have price tag on them and others will have to pay that price, usually with their blood or even their lives." He looked over to Kakashi apologetically.

"Sorry about that. When someone completely disregards the lives of their comrades like that, it doesn't sit well with me."

Kakashi sighed in exasperation. "Don't worry about it. He needed the humbling and you were right. That arrogance is going to get someone killed one day. I think he needs some reinforcement on the concept of teamwork."

Kakashi turned his attention to where Ichigo brought his other two students to safety. "Looks like missions are cancelled for today. Sasuke and I are going to have a long chat about this." He said as he picked up Sasuke and shunshin'd to the hospital, leaving them in the clearing.

Sakura was the first to get over the shock of what happened. "Wow! I didn't know you were that fast! Sasuke was considered a genius, and you mopped the floor with him!" She exclaimed.

Ichigo snorted. "Hmph. Genius, huh? Just another excuse given for someone to be an arrogant snob. Just remember one thing : A hard worker will always defeat a genius in the long run. Never forget that fact, and you'll go far." He stated.

With a sigh, he changed gears. "Hey, since you guys have time now, how would you like me to train you in some taijutsu? I can teach you a new style, and maybe I'll find one that fits you."

Ichigo's stock was definately rising with Kyu for that.

_**"Kit, I really like this guy. He treats you well, he's strong, fast, and he's willing to take on this whole village to keep you safe. Now, he's offering to give you and your pink haired teammate training in order to better protect yourselves from nutcases like that Uchiha brat. Your sensei, Kakashi seems to agree with him about that brat and so do I. He only cares about power and himself. I feel he will betray everyone for a chance at quick and easy power. Watch out for your friend. I detected hints of lust from the Uchiha directed at her. He might try to do the unthinkable, so watch her back."**_

_"Yeah, I know what you mean. That should never happen to anyone. I'll protect her. I'll die for her if I have to."_

_**"I know you will do the right thing, Kit. Of that, I have no doubts. You have honor and chivalry, something very few people possess. Your brother is one such person, which is why I respect him. Now, get that training!"**_

Both genin perked up at the prospect of learning a new fighting style. "Hai, Ichigo-sensei!" They chorused, making him sweatdrop a bit.

"Okay, okay. Now watch closely," He instructed as he summoned a small platoon of shadow clones, then started a kata. During which he performed painful looking knee, elbow, and forearm strikes, along with slashing roundhouse kicks and a powerful series of punches, ending the small demo with a painful looking forearm club to the back of the clones neck.

"Now, this style was called Muay Thai..." He said as he explained the basics of it for a good 15 minutes.

Unbeknownst to them, Hitomi Haruno had watched the whole demo and was amazed. She had originally come with a lunch basket for herself and her daughter, but figured that the boys could join them as well for the picnic lunch. She watched as Naruto and Sakura attempted to take on their impromtu sensei with what they learned. 20 minutes later, she came up to 2 panting 12 year olds and a grinning 21 year old.

"That was very nice, Sakura, Naruto-kun! Ichigo-kun what was that style? I've never seen it before. It looked devastating up close." She asked.

Sakura answered. "That was called Muay Thai, mom! Ichigo-sen...I mean Ichigo-san said that it was an ancient fighting art developed by a warrior prince for war!" She explained excitedly._ 'It's been so long since I've seen her so excited. He must be an excellent teacher.'_ Hitomi mused, smiling. Her smile got ever bigger when she saw how well Naruto and her daughter got along. _'They can't even make eye contact without blushing up a storm! I knew that Uchiha was only a phase! I'm so glad she found someone better in Naruto-kun!'_ She added inwardly.

"I hope you boys worked up an appetite. I made plenty for everyone!" She announced with a merry tone.

"Ano, Mrs. Haruno, are you really okay with that? I mean, aniki and I sharing lunch with you?" Naruto asked with hope of acceptance in his voice.

She only gave him a kind smile. _'Poor guys...they must have been so lonely. Well, that's going to change here and now! My daughter seems to actually love Naruto and she already views Ichigo as an uncle of sorts. They're good in my book.'_

"Of course, Naruto-kun! Your brother and yourself are both welcome to join us for lunch! But, how about dinner tonight?" She said slyly, nudging Sakura.

"Huh?! Oh, yeah! Would you like to join us for dinner tonight, Naruto-kun, Ichigo-san?" She asked bashfully.

Naruto was stunned. He couldn't believe his luck! "Uh,um,ah..." He stammered out, but felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over to see Ichigo give him a reassuring nod as he took over.

"How about we treat you ladies to a nice dinner in return for this awesome lunch? Seems only fair." He said happily with a fox-like grin and a wink.

Hitomi picked up on what he was getting at. _'I see! Their first date and an excuse to chaperone it as well...Brilliant! Maybe this can be a date for me as well...' _"That sounds lovely, boys." She said with a smile.

"Alright!" Both Uzumaki's said in perfect unison.

"We'll pick you ladies up at 6:30 P.M, is that okay?" Naruto asked.

"Sounds good to me, Naruto-kun." Sakura answered him shyly.

"Right! We're gonna show you ladies a night to remember! Count on it!" He announced confidently with his own wink.

"Oh my, quite the gentleman aren't we, Naruto-chan? Well, let's eat before it gets cold!" Hitomi announced happily.

Unknown to them, Sarutobi sat in his office watching the whole thing through is gazing crystal. He couldn't help but smile.

"They drew Hitomi Haruno out of her shell...I knew that this was a good idea. Ichigo is proving to be a blessing for Naruto and the Haruno's. I hope their little 'date' goes well." He finished with a chuckle before getting back to his paperwork.

Back at the training grounds, Lunch was about done .

_'Boys and their appetites...the quickest way to their hearts is their stomachs.' _Hitomi felt as she gazed upon her daughters two golden blonde guardian angels, sitting back with identical looks of contentment adorning their faces.

"Was the lunch good, you two?" She asked them.

"Oh, yes! It was excellent, Hitomi-san!" Ichigo exclaimed and at the same time both blondes called out, "Thank you for the lunch, ma'am!" Both with the same happy and unguarded smile.

Hitomi couldn't help but giggle at the display. _'I still can't get over how much they look just like Minato...even act like him! It's just too adoreable! Naruto is definately no demon like most of this foolish village believes. He is a blessing to my Sakura and I know that he will make her happy and will protect her with his life. Ichigo is no different. I know that he will do all he can to watch over them and use every ounce of power he has to protect them, like a guardian angel. I hope these two brothers will continue to bless my daughter and I, and for the gods to watch over and protect them.'_

"Well little buddy, if we're gonna show these nice ladies a night on the town, we'd best look the part. Let's go get us some decent threads, okay?" Ichigo told his otouto.

The towering blonde turned his atteniton back to their dates. "Oh yeah! Dress nice. Trust me when I say that you won't regret it."

"Y-yeah!" Naruto confirmed.

"Well, we'd best get going ourselves, then. Goodbye Ichigo-kun, Naruto-kun."

"G-goodbye, Naruto-kun. I can't wait for tonight!" Sakura squealed excitedly, giving him a kiss on the cheek that had him spellbound, making his heart take off and his face as red as a cherry. He stood rooted to his spot until they were out of view, then he simply melted on the spot with a look of sublime happiness on his face.

_**"Way to go, Kit! She likes you! I hope this turns out well, because she seems to be a keeper."**_

_"Thanks, Kyu-chan! I'm so damn happy right now, I could cry!"_

Ichigo chuckled at his little brother and dragged him by the collar of his new jacket off toward town, making a shadow clone to go a make a resevation for 4 at a very classy, fancy western style restaurant that had a dance floor and waltzing music that he saw last week.

But first, He had to pay Ino a visit. He needed to see her about some flowers and wardrobe. After all, he needed a lady's opinion on clothes and who better to ask than her, right?

A/N : Chapter 5 finally done! Sakura is now done with Sasuke completely and is ready to move on, her sights and heart now set on Naruto. Now, Naruto's going to have the date he always wanted with her and his new big brother is going to help him through it.


	6. The Night of a Lifetime

_**Chapter six up and running. I'm back at work now, so updates will be a little slower going than before. I hope that you all have enjoyed this fic thus far. **_

_**Now please, enjoy yourselves.**_

_**YAMANAKA FLOWER SHOP 1245 HRS.**_

Ino was getting kinda bored. Asuma called off training because he ran out of cigarettes and her teammates went to go slack off some where, leaving her by herself. She was just minding the register at her family's flower shop when two of her fellow and favorite blondes walked in. She noticed right off the bat that Naruto was probably in the best mood of his life. She was surprised when Ichigo spoke out to her.

"Hey, Ino! What's up besides the obvious?" He said with a chuckle and a warm smile.

"Ichigo! Hey, what's up with Naruto? I've never seen him that happy, ever!"

He proceeded to tell her about the day. She was highly upset with Sasuke for his heinous actions and comments. But she was happy for Naruto, finally getting what he always dreamed of, a chance with Sakura. She was happy with Sakura's change in attitude since falling for Naruto. She felt that Naruto was a good influence on her and made her happy.

Ino couldn't help but notice Naruto's off-key humming and giggled to herself. "Too bad he can't even carry a tune in a bucket." She cackled.

Ichigo chuckled a bit himself. "Maybe, but a friend once told me this : "When your in love, all the world is in tune."

"Smart friend." She replied with a coy smile.

"Well, to get back on track, we need your help. I kinda...need your advice...as a fashion consultant. You see, I'm kinda hopeless in that department and we need a woman's opinion."

"Well, what do I get out of this?" She asked slyly.

"Look, I'll just owe you one. Anything you need, you got it." _'I've got a feeling that I'm gonna regret this...'_

"Great!! MOM! I NEED TO HEAD OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE!! I'LL BE BACK SOON!!" Ino yelled into the house.

emerged from the house portion of the store. "Okay, dear!" She replied, but then she saw the brothers Uzumaki.

"Naruto-chan!! Ichigo-kun!!" She squealed as she snatched them both into a body mangling hug. Thankfully, it was brief, as they had to get underway. With Ino in tow, they headed for the only shop in Konoha that would cater to Naruto, Dagashiya's.

_**KONOHA BUSINESS DISTRICT - DAGASHIYA'S 1315 HRS.**_

They got to the store just in time to run into Anko. Again. "What the hell Anko-neechan?! You stalking us or what?!" Naruto yelled.

"I just ran into my favorite blondes by coinicidence, I swear!" She said as innocently, or at least as innocent as Anko can sound.

"Yeah, yeah. Yank on his legs for a while. He needs a few extra inches" Ichigo muttered, clearly not believing her.

"Sooo, who's she? Why did she say that?" Ino asked.

"I'm Anko Mitarashi, kid! I work for the Interrigation and Torture Division. As for these two, I kinda see 'em as my otoutos and I'm their One-chan. They're like family to me."

Ino went wide-eyed when she heard her name. "Hey, my dad told me about you! He said even S-rank criminals crap themselves when they see you coming!"

Anko had the decency to blush at the praise, but noticed that she had blonde hair and only one family had blonde hair besides the Uzumakis. "Don't tell me. You're Inoichi's kid, aren't cha?"

"Yep! I wanna work with you someday!" She said, starry-eyed.

"HAH,HAH! I like you, girl!! We'll get along juuust fine!" She said with a sadistic smirk. The Uzumaki's both exchanged looks of fright at the aspect of ANOTHER Anko running around. The two ladies quickly got to the business that they came there for. Ino was giddy at the fact that she was dressing up two cute guys and her new idol was there to help. After 15 minutes of being tugged around like human dress-up dolls, the two kunoichi finally settled on an ensemble for both. Needless to say, they decided to go over the top.

Ichigo was in some formal black slacks with a dress button up shirt, a double breasted vest and a tux coat, complete with top hat. Naruto's was pretty much the same, although they had a hell of a time taming his hair until the old lady who owned the place put a little pomade in his hair. Ino blushed pretty badly at the sight of the two handsome young blondes while Anko fought back some drool.

_'Damn! Ichigo I could understand, but Naruto?! Man, he cleans up real nice. If Forehead drops the ball, I'll be DAMN sure to pick up the rebound!!'_

_'THESE are my two blonde gakis?! Holy shit, they look good!'_

With thoughts and opinions out of the way, Anko bid them farewell and the blonde trio made their way back to the shop.

_**YAMANAKA FLOWER SHOP 1430 HRS**_

The trio made it back to the shop while getting some approving looks from the girls. Even Naruto was getting some winks and girls blowing him kisses, which made Ino glare jealously. One girl even glomped Naruto, but a blast of killer intent from the pony-tailed girl made her seriously reconsider that.

The boys went to go select their flowers for their dates, when Shiho Yamanaka came bursting out and mangled the two boys. Again. "OOH, I FEEL LIKE I'VE GOT TWO HANDSOME NEPHEWS!!" She all but ranted. Ino couldn't help but give out a great big belly laugh.

Ichigo was barely able to gasp out, "AIR!!" And was released by an embarrassed Shiho. She then proceeded to talk and gossip, for two hours STRAIGHT. At least they knew Ino came by it talkative nature honestly.

"Oh, Ichigo-kun, you know you look just like my husband when he was younger..." She kept on going until they were rescued by one Inoichi Yamanaka, who had just come home from work. They both shot him a grateful smile as they got back to business.

Shiho walked right over to Naruto, knowing exactly what he wanted. "Naruto-kun, don't tell me...Pink Azalea, right?" Mrs. Yamanaka said slyly.

"Uh...y-yeah. F-for Sakura-chan." He replied, embarrassed. She just giggled and pulled out a corsage for him.

"Here. It's on the house, sweetie." She said to him smiling gently.

"Wow! Thanks Mrs. Yamanaka!" He exclaimed, giving her a hug.

"You're quite welcome, Naruto-kun." She chuckled, returning the hug. _'Such a sweet boy...'_

Ichigo picked out a cherry blossom corsage the same color as Hitomi's hair for her. Shiho asked him why and he told her, blushing like a little boy, so she gave him the same deal.

The two boys looked at the clock and said their goodbyes. They had a date to get ready for, after all.

_**UZUMAKI APARTMENT 1645 HRS. **_

The two boys put their corsages in the fridge to keep them fresh as they performed the three S's. For those of you who don't know what they are, it stand for Shit, Shower, and Shave. They then got ready for the date. The next hour, Ichigo clones were teaching Naruto clones to waltz and dance. Needless to say, they never wanted anyone to find out HOW Naruto was taught, because it was too embarrassing. Ichigo stealthly pocketed a small vial of colonge that he used on his initial date then fished out the corsages, handing Naruto his. They quickly ran out the door to get to the Haruno's on time.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 1825 HRS.**_

The Uzumaki's made it to the house with a little time to spare. Ichigo decided to talk to his brother to pass the time. "What's that Sasuke kid's damage, anyway?"

"Well, 4 years ago, his older brother wiped out his whole clan, by himself, in one night." He said solemnly.

"So what? You never had a family until I got here, and you turned out pretty good. You're not an arrogant little asswipe with some serious screws loose. He has girls throwing themselves at him, the village and the council both worship the ground he walks, and he still throws those tantrums like a petulant child." Ichigo growled out, but then changed gears."But then, there's you. After all the shit you've been through, you turned out to be a good kid. Now others are noticing the difference between you and that supposedly superior Uchiha. Hell, two of his most rabid fangirls denounced him for you. You did good, kid. Real good." Ichigo finished with a warm smile.

"Thanks, Aniki. Since you arrived here, things have been looking up. My peers are leaving me alone, Ino is actually nice to me, Anko-neechan doesn't scare me as much as she used to, I'm getting training, Kyu is actually really kind and tries to help where she can. Now, I getting the chance of a lifetime, a date with my dream girl..." He trailed off and into la-la land, but Ichigo brought him back.

"Hey! You in there? Okay, now do you remember about etiquette and manners and the other stuff I told you about?"

"Yeah, but I'm more nervous than anything. I just want this night to be perfect."

Ichigo's head perked up in remembrance as he pulled out the vial he picked up at home. "Here." He said, dabbing a tiny drop on each side of his collar bone.

"What's that stuff?" Naruto asked, puzzled. He didn't know what it was, but it smelled real good.

"That is colonge. It'll make you irrisitable to girls, otouto. Sakura won't be able to keep her hands off you!" Ichigo chuckled, ruffling Naruto's hair slightly. He straightened himself and gave himself a once over, turning to Naruto. "Okay, moment of truth. You ready?"

"Let's do this, Aniki."

With that, Ichigo took a deep breath and knocked at the door. Hitomi answered the door, at least he thought it was her. He was stunned at her beauty. She wore her long hair in plaits and she had on a form fitting white evening gown with spaghetti straps and light make-up and lipstick. "Wow...Beautiful..." Ichigo breathed out, totally mesmerized by her.

Hitomi blushed slightly while giggling lightly. "Oh, Ichigo-kun. It's me, Hitomi!" She chirped happily. _'Oh my! Both of them clean up really nice! Naruto-kun looks like the perfect little gentleman, and such broad shoulders at his age! He's defininatly a lady killer, like his brother. Ichigo-kun has more of a mature appeal to him, but still has a boyish charm. On top of that, the identical blush on the two is too adoreable!'_ She giggled inwardly.

Ichigo pulled out the cherry blossom corsage for her," H-here, t-this is f-for you..." He stammered.

Her eyes lit up at the gift. "Oh, Ichigo-kun! It's beautiful! That was very sweet of you!" She giggled out like a teenager, giving him a kiss on his cheek that made his face light up like fireworks.

Naruto lightly snickered at his brothers reaction. At this Ms. Haruno bent down to Naruto. "You look very handsome yourself, Naruto-kun." She said coyly, giving the whiskered boy his own little smooch on his forehead that nearly caused his brain to shut down.

This time, it was Ichigo' turn to chuckle. _'I think he just hit puberty, face first.'_

Sakura's voice carried as she called out to her mother. "Are they here already, mom?" She called out, coming out from behind her mother.

It was Naruto's turn to be stunned. Actually, he jaw dropped. She let her hair flow freely and was wearing the same type of white gown that her mom was wearing. The light make-up and cherry red lipstick she wore made her even more beautiful than he ever imagined.

"An...Angel..." He barely managed to say before he mustered up his confidence. "H-here, Sakura-chan. This is for you..." He said as he pulled out his pink Azalea corsage and gave it to her.

Her face flushed and her eyes came alive, gasping in surprise. "Oh, Naruto-kun! It's so pretty, I love it!! Thank you so much!!" She giggled in excitement as she hugged him tightly and kissed him on his whiskered cheek. When she did, she noticed that he had a slight, soothing scent of oranges. Her inner self, which now represented her raging hormones, started ranting.

_**"SHANNARO!!!! He smells so good!!! Watch out, Naruto-kun's lips, cause here comes Sakura!!!"**_

_"Mmm...You're right...Before this nights out, his lips are mine!"_

_**"That's the spirit!! Now sic'em!!"**_

"Mmm... You smell so good." She cooed sweetly, her forehead resting against his.

"Thank you, Sakura-hime." He breathed as he put his arms around her waist, pulling her in close.

Before anything else transpired, Ichigo clapped his hands together, snapping the young couple out of their little world. "Well, shall we go now?" He asked Hitomi, with a gracious bow and offering her his arm, to which Naruto followed suit. The two couples left for the restaurant, arm-in-arm.

From his office, Sarutobi watched the scene with a hearty chuckle and a wide smile. "Naruto. More than anyone, you deserve to be happy. Ichigo must truly have been sent from the heavens for you, like your very own guardian angel. I shall do whatever I can to help you, as well."

Around the corner, a set of onyx colored eyes watched in a jealous rage. _'Damn you, you stupid dobe...I shouldn't want to be a common piece of trash, like you. I get you for this and she will be mine, even if she doesn't like it, she'll be mine!!'_

_**KONOHA RESTAURANT DISTRICT 1900 HRS**_

Team 10, minus Ino, waltzed out of their favorite haunt, a BBQ joint they always frequented, when they were greeted by the weirdest, most jaw dropping sight they had ever seen : Naruto, all cleaned up, dressed up, and not wearing that Kill-Me-Orange jumpsuit. The next part was that there was a VERY beautiful pink haired girl holding his arm, which they could only assume was Sakura. I mean, who else in the village had pink hair? For further shock value, they seemed to smiling, laughing, and generally enjoying each others company.

_**"KAI!!.......KAI!!...KAI, KAI, KAI!!!"**_ Shikamaru chanted repeatedly. Nothing changed.

"What the hell?! How can something this crazy not be a genjutsu?!" He said incredulously.

Asuma took a good, long look at his lit cigarette before snuffing it and throwing the rest away. Chouji stopped munching on his chips and stared at the bag, just before throwing it away.

"WHAT'S IN THIS STUFF?!?!" They yelled in unison.

Asuma noticed the couple in the lead and was shocked even furthur. "Hitomi Haruno?! With a guy?!" He blurted out.

He knew about her and what happened to her. She never let men get too close to her, but what was so special about this one? While on that subject, he'd never seen this guy before, but he looks disturbingly like Naruto. In a last ditch attempt to save their failing sanity, all three just turned and walked away, QUICKLY.

They entered the restaurant he made the reservations at earlier today and the maiter'd showed them to their table. Light, airy music filled the air, couples were waltzing regally on the polished wood dance floor, all seemed right with the world. Hitomi and Sakura were stunned.

"Oh, this is so beautiful! You didn't have to go through all this..." Hitomi said but was stopped by Ichigo's finger to her lips.

"Think nothing of it. Your kindness to Naruto all these years is something I can never truly repay, but I hope to try. If you will allow me to, that is." He said to her, bowing gracefully, taking her hand and kissing it.

Naruto was taking mental notes on what he saw his brother doing. _'Man, that was real smooth, Aniki!'_

Hitomi blushed at his gentlemanly gesture. "You're off to a pretty good start, Ichigo-kun." She said as he sat back down next to her. _'He is such a gentleman, but I know he's also showing Naruto what to do, teaching him on the fly on how to act like a gentleman. He's doing a good job so far.'_ She thought.

Ichigo motioned with his eyes to the dance floor. Naruto picked up on the cue. "Sakura-chan, would you like to dance?" He asked nerviously.

"Yes, I'd love to, Naruto-kun." She said sweetly and intently. He led her gently by the hand from her seat to the dance floor, never taking their eyes off one another. "Sakura-chan, do you mind if I lead?"

_'What?! He can dance, too?! How much of an idiot was I that I never saw this before? You certainly are full of pleasant surprizes, Naruto-kun.'_ "Go ahead. I don't mind." She replied. They proceeded to glide around the dance floor with a grace that was beyond their years.

Ichigo beamed with pride for his otouto. He noticed Hitomi sighing wistfully as she watched her daughter dance as if she were in a fairytale. _'Oh Sakura. You are one lucky girl. He is such a good boy, I know he'll treat you right.'_ She thought until she noticed Ichigo, bowing in a grandiose manner in front of her.

"Would milady like to dance?" He asked her with a wink.

She graced him with a smile as she held out her hand. "Why, yes. I'd love to, Ichigo-kun." She replied. He gently took her by the hand and lead her to the floor.

"Can I lead?" He asked.

"Of course, Ichigo-kun." She answered sweetly. Soon, all eyes were drawn to the blondes and their pink tressed partners. Naruto and Sakura were in their own little world. Nothing else mattered. Sakura felt that she was living out something from a fairytale. Naruto felt that he was in heaven, dancing with an angel.

Suddenly, the song ended and both young shinobi were brought back to reality. They looked around and saw the appluase they were receiving. To Naruto, who had only known pain, suffering, loneliness, and hatred, this felt like heaven on earth. He and Sakura bowed and a new song of the same tempo started up. The older pair nodded to each other and went over to the young ones.

"Can I cut in?" The older pair asked in unison.

"Of course." Was the shared reply.

"_**HENGE!"**_ The two adults had tranformed themselves into their 13 year old selves. Sakura was faced with a 13 year old Ichigo. He was still taller than her and still had all of the features she had come to know and love.

"Shall we, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura took a brief moment to snap out her daze to answer. "Yes, let's dance." She replied.

Before she knew it, she was whisked away, gliding across the dance floor. "So, how do you feel about my little brother, Sakura-chan?" He asked her honestly.

"So much has happened in the past two weeks, but I can say this : I do love him. I love him with all my heart. Nothing will ever change this or tear us apart again. I want to do more than just atone for all the horrible things I've done and said to him. I promised that I'd never leave him and I fully intend to honor it, just as Naruto-kun vowed to always be by my side so many years ago. I want to face this villages hated and ignorance along side him, so he won't have to carry the burden all alone anymore." She said in a serious tone, not wanting to be taken lightly.

"What about the crush you had on the Uchiha? What of him?" He asked softly as they continued to dance.

"He was just a silly crush. Just the crutch of a silly little girl's desperation to be popular. I liked Sasuke just for what he was on the surface. He was popular, rich, had good looks, skilled, and the whole village seemed to love him because he was the last Uchiha. But, I never saw the darkness in his heart. I never noticed that he was never nice or kind to anyone. Naruto was an orphan from birth. He never knew his family and never even knew why he was hated until a few days ago. But despite all of the abuse and hatred, he still saved me from those bullies, protected me, and stayed my friend. He even said he loved me and meant it. He was so sweet and kind to me, but I abandonded him. I broke his kind heart and took him for granted. Thankfully, my first clues to Sasuke's true personality were during the team selections, when Naruto-kun gave us that cryptic warning to 'look underneath the underneath' before it was too late. Later, during Kakashi-sensei's test, Sasuke abandoned me to fight alone, calling me a useless burden. Naruto sent a shadow clone to watch over me and tried to protect me." She paused as she teared up.

"It's funny, the one who I channeled all my efforts and affection to just called me "worthless trash". I compared the lives of Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke's life has been heaven compared to Naruto's. I learned everything, thanks to Ino and Kakashi-sensei. He was only a newborn when the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans tried to kill him and the assassination attempts just kept coming. Almost the whole village and many shinobi tried to kill him. He was thrown out of the orphanage at 4. They did such horrifying and unspeakable things to him. But, he still showed me kindness and warmth. He fell in love with me, forgiving me for all the mean and hurtful things I did and said to him when I betrayed him. A demon could never love or forgive as he can. With Sasuke's actions and words today, he proved that the one this village worships is nothing but the cold hearted monster they believed Naruto was. I love Naruto and I always will." She ended, tears falling freely.

"Good. Good for you." He said warmly as he dispelled the Henge. He cupped her chin and wiped away her tears, giving her a kiss on her forehead. "Go to him. Make each other happy." He told her gently.

She gave him the tightest embrace she could. "Thank you, Ichigo-san...Thank you so much." She replied softly as she ran to Naruto's side.

_**AT THE SAME TIME - HITOMI AND NARUTO'S WALTZ**_

"Can I cut in?" The older pair asked in unison.

"Of course." Was the shared reply.

"_**HENGE!"**_ The two adults had tranformed themselves into their 13 year old selves. Naruto was faced with a beautiful girl with shoulder length pale pink hair and deep green eyes. She was a mirror image of the girl he loved in every way.

"Shall we dance, Naruto-kun?" She asked sweetly, giggling slightly at his reaction. _'Whoa, she even sounds like Sakura-chan!'_

He recovered quickly and put on his most confident and genuine smile. "Of course. Let's go." And with that said, they began their waltz.

"So, Naruto-kun. How do you feel about my little girl?" She asked him softly and encouragingly.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Ever since the day I met her, she stole my heart. Ever since, all I've wanted to do is love her and protect her. She is just so special to me, I can't even decribe it. She was my first hug, my first kiss on the cheek, my first love. This was never a crush for me. I would do anything to see her beautiful smile. I was even willing to help her win that jerk Sasuke, just to make her happy. I would gladly give up everything and anything, to make her happy and keep her safe." He finished quietly as his voice began to waiver.

Hitomi was deeply impressed with his answer. "You are very devoted to her. You were even will to give her up forever to make her happy. That is true love, devotion, and loyalty on a level only you Uzumaki's seem to be capable of. That makes you and your brother truly rare in this world and she is very lucky to have you. I wish I could have found someone just like you when I was her age. Do you remember the shirt and flower you gave her? That day she gave you her first kiss as well as her heart. All that week, she kept saying that she was going to marry you some day. I hoped it would come true. I only wished she had a father that would walk her down the isle when that day came..." She said as she started to cry.

Naruto simply hugged her tightly and got her to calm down. "Don't cry...please don't cry. You've got Sakura. Now you have my brother and me , too. You've always been nice to me, even though you knew what's inside of me. You treated me like a person, not a demon. You accepted me for who I am. Funny, I never knew why people hated me so much until 4 days ago, after failed the graduation exam for the 3rd time..."

He had to stop in order to hold back his tears. She cradled his head softly. "Shh, Naruto-kun. It's okay. I'm here for you. I've known about how you've been treated, and it's all over now. You have your sensei, Ichigo-kun, Ino-chan, myself, and you have Sakura's love. You don't have to be alone anymore." Hitomi told him with a hug and a voice that only a mother could offer.

The song ended and she dispelled the Henge. He lost his valiant battle against his tears and let them flow. "Naruto, you are a very sweet and kind soul. You have my blessing, and I know you will grow into a good, strong man, like your brother is now."

She bent down and kissed his cheek. "Go to her, Naruto. Make each other happy." She told him softly. He immeadiatly dashed off to find her.

Ichigo walked up beside Hitomi. "How'd it go?"

"I couldn't be happier. I know she's in good hands. I only wish there was one of either of you when I was younger." She confided in him while gazing at the young couple at the table with her hand resting on Ichigo's broad shoulder. "After all, they have you around to help watch over them." She added as she patted his shoulder affectionately.

"Looks like our orders are here. Shall we, Lady Hitomi?" He said with a playful, but bright smile while taking her hand with a grandiose bow.

"Of course, my dear, sweet Ichigo." She giggled and let him guide her to the table, rejoining the young lovers.

Dinner went very well, especially since Naruto was on his best behaivor, showing impeccable manners. This was certainly something he didn't want to screw up. A toast went up to comemmerate this night, and Ichigo discreetly paid the bill, not wanting Hitomi to feel bad. They danced some more and then decided to head out for dessert and go home.

As they left the restaurant, the two adults watched the positive body language of the young couple with hope and happiness. But, this happy night wouldn't remain such for much longer.

A voice rang out of the din of the evening chatter. "HEY DOBE!!!" The voice roared out.

They looked up and saw their dark-haired teammate, Sasuke Uchiha, who had a jealous scowl on his face. "What do you think you're doing with my property, trash?! She belongs to me, Fox-dobe!!" He screamed, pointing at Sakura.

That last outburst got the attention of almost the whole street. They looked at Naruto for a moment then realized who it was.

_"It's the Fox brat!!"_

_"Let's kill it!!"_

_"Death to the fox!!"_

Ichigo's danger alarms started blaring. "Hitomi, he's starting a riot! We've got to get the kids out of here!"

The party started to bolt, but a familiar figure got between them and the mob.

"Kakashi-sensei!!" Naruto called out, glad to see him. As he used his Sharingan to cast a wide area paralisys genjutsu, Rin poked her head out of an alley way, motioning them to follow.

"Hitomi, it's Rin! Get the kids and let's follow her to get out of here!" Ichigo barked out. The party escaped into the darkness of the backstreets and to safety. Kakashi shunshin'd out of the area to catch up at Ichiraku's.

Sasuke was left boiling in rage that they got away. "DAMN YOU, DOBE!!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs into the night.

_**ICHIRAKU RAMEN STAND 2130 HRS.**_

The party made it safely to Ichiraku's as Ichigo checked everyone over to make sure they were okay, his military training kicking in. To his relief, they were all unharmed and Kakashi shunshin'd in to meet them.

"Kakashi, thanks back there. Hitomi and I would have been forced to fight if you hadn't shown up when you did." He told Kakashi gratefully.

Kakashi simply waved it off. "Don't worry about that. I'm sure you would have done the same. Rin and I were on our way home when we saw what happened. Something needs to be done about Sasuke before things get worse." The copy nin replied.

Hitomi spoke her piece, as well. "I agree with you, Kakashi. That boy has grown to be very arrogant and is now highly dangerous. He could have gotten people killed tonight. That brat had the nerve to think that he owned my daughter!" She exclaimed, really pissed off.

"Right. I'm going to see the Hokage about this incident and also request that Sasuke be kicked off of Team 7 immediately. He has gone too far tonight. Obito must be spinning in his grave right now." Kakashi growled in distaste for the last Uchiha's actions.

"Kakashi, I'm going with you. I want to see justice done tonight." Rin called out.

"I'm going, too." Ichigo called out. "But first let me get Hitomi and the kids to safety." He turned to Hitomi.

"Can Naruto stay with you for a bit? I don't think that him going to the apartment by himself is safe right now. After we're done, I'll check it out myself to make sure it's safe. I'll leave a clone with you, just in case." He said , summoning a shadow clone.

"Alright, I want you to follow Ms. Haruno and do what she says. You'll be protecting her and the kids. Understood?"

The clone paid apt attention to the order. "Got it, boss! No one's getting past me!" He said, snapping a quick salute, before turning to Hitomi. "Awaiting orders, Ma'am!"

"Alright Clone-kun, kids, let's go." She ordered as all four bolted for the rooftops, bound for the Haruno residence.

Once they were out of sight, Rin, Kakashi, and Ichigo took off for Hokage Tower, where they would meet with the Hokage.

_**HOKAGE TOWER 2207 HRS**_

The trio lept from roof to roof, bound for Hokage Tower with all haste.

"So, do you think Sasuke knows about Naruto's little "tenant"?" Ichigo asked.

"By now, no doubt. That's the only way he could have whipped up the crowd like that." Kakashi told.

"What could have possessed him to do this to his teammates?" Rin asked, confused, but still enraged at the last Uchiha's actions.

"I think jealousy was a key motivating factor in this. Regardless, I no longer want him on my team. Especially after what he pulled this morning during training." Kakashi said. He then moved on to explain what Sasuke did that morning at Training Ground #7.

"He should be ashamed of himself! He could have killed them!" Rin exclaimed, extremly upset.

"Right now, I'm just worried for their safety." Ichigo replied as they approached the doors to the Hokage's office.

Kakashi walked up to the secretary and stated in a professional manner, "Kakashi Hatake, Rin Sawaguchi, and Ichigo Uzumaki here to see Hokage-sama immeadiately. It's urgent."

She pressed her intercom to ask him for permission and she replied, "Please enter. Hokage-sama has been expecting you."

That only gave them a feeling of foreboding as they walked through the doors. Upon entry, their sinking feeling was intensified, as they saw Danzo and Homura of the Elders standing next to Sasuke, who had a nasty smirk on his face. It was the kind of smirk that said "I win".

Saurtobi had a haggered look on his old features as he saw the trio walk in. Homura noticed as well and spoke out. "Ah, Kakashi. We've been expecting you and your...companions." He stated as he looked at them with the utmost contempt.

Kakashi and co. recomposed themselves as the Copy-nin spoke first. "If you were expecting us, then you must know why we're here."

"Yes, Hatake, we do. And, no. We cannot allow to Sasuke Uchiha to be taken off of Team 7. You are the only one who can teach him the Sharingan. Any problems, you must deal with on your own." Homura stated bluntly.

This only served to anger Rin. "Why?! He is a danger to his own team and everyone else! His arrogance and jealousy will get people killed!" She said heatedly.

Danzo spoke up now. "You speak out of place, young lady. And as for Uchiha-san's teammates, I believe Uchiha-san has told me that the boy has manipulated the Haruno girl into siding against him, using his...guests...influence. I've told you, Sarutobi. That boy belongs in my training program, not being pampered by your silly ideals..."

Ichigo let his chakra flare visibly. "Watch it old man, unless you want me to make the other side match. This is the Hokage you're talking to, so show some respect." He growled at Danzo, fixing him with a paralizing glare.

Danzo's only visible eye narrowed. "Are you threatening me, boy?" He seethed.

Ichigo made his eyes glow as he started to activate his Nano-induced state. "Even a guardian angel can become a devil if provoked." He snarled as he practically radiated with power, forcing the room into silence.

Sasuke took advantage of the silence to speak. "Homura-sama, Danzo-sama, in the interest of rebuilding my clan, may I propose an arranged marriage between myself and Sakura Haruno." He stated, sporting a nasty smirk.

The looks on the faces of Kakashi, Rin, Ichigo, and Sarutobi showed nothing but anger and raw rage. They knew why he was proposing this and they were damned if they were going to let him have his way. Ichigo was ready to grill and ream Sasuke, but Sarutobi beat him to it.

"I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS!!!" The elderly Hokage roared, leaking some killer intent. "I should have stripped you of your ninja status and confined you for your stunt this morning!! If I cannot remove you, then I will move your teammates! TORA, NEKO!!" He finished by calling to two of his ANBU bodyguards. "Please go and fetch Hitomi Haruno and Gai." He ordered.

"At once, Hokage-sama!" He said and was about to jump from the window until Ichigo called for him to stop. "Hokage-sama, can I go with Tora-san? I'm worried about them and would like to check up on them."

"Of course. Go with Tora, then."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. Kakashi, Rin. I'll be right back." He told them. The ANBU motioned from the window for him to follow and they jumped off into the night.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 2254 HRS**_

Ichigo and the ANBU reached the Hitomi's and Sakura's house and knocked. "Hitomi! It's just me, Ichigo!" He said. She opened up to see him and Tora standing there.

The tiger masked ANBU spoke up, "Hitomi Haruno, Hokage-sama requests your presence." He stated in a professional, yet polite tone.

"Oh, what about...", she started to say. She was still all dolled up and the kids were sleeping on the couch, holding on to each other. But Ichigo was way ahead of her.

"Don't worry. I've got it covered." He soothed. He then summoned 10 more shadow clones. "Okay, boys. Guard the house. Don't let anyone near unless it's me or Hitomi. If something goes wrong, one of you dispel and the rest hold the fort until I arrive. Got it?"

All the clones snapped to attention, saluted, and chorused in total unison, "Sir yes sir!"

Ichigo looked satisfied. "You've got your orders, now go!" He commanded as the clones spread out. He could have sworn the ANBU give a slight chuckle at the antics of the clones. With the safety precautions taken care of, they bolted for Hokage Tower again.

_**HOKAGE TOWER 2309 HRS**_

Hitomi walked through the door to the office, flanked by Tora and Ichigo. "Hitomi Haruno reporting as ordered, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at her eye-catching ensemble, but shoved the thought away as he greeted her. Sasuke and Danzo fixed her with a leering gaze, but she fought down her urge to smack them both, fixing them both with a glare that spoke of sheer revulsion. Ichigo just put a hand on her shoulder and asked her to relax. She squeezed his hand gently and uttered a quiet thank you.

"Haruno-san..." Homura started. "The Uchiha clan wishes to arrange a marriage to your daughter..." He stated in a forceful tone that said he was not to be denied. However, she cut him off angrliy.

"NEVER!! I will never hand my daughter over to that heartless monster! I know what he tried to do to her and Naruto! They were lucky that Ichigo was there to protect them. Then there was the incident earlier tonight that Uchiha caused! Kakashi was kind enough to assist in our escape from the mob THAT boy riled up! He also had the NERVE to claim my daughter as his property!!" She exclaimed, raw anger and fury in her voice.

Maito Gai chose this moment to arrive in the office in all his green spandexed glory, with an exasperated Neko close behind.

Ichigo's first impression simple._'That is just wrong...'_

"Hokage-sama, Maito Gai reporting as ordered." He said while giving the nice guy pose and smiling, his teeth making an audiable 'ping'.

Sarutobi cleared his throat to get everyone back on track. "Hitomi..." He started. "Would you like for your daughter to switch teams?" He asked.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. But, can Naruto-kun be paired with her? She requested.

This made the old man smile. _'She fully accepts him as a good boy. Thank you, Hitomi.'_ "Of course we can, if it's alright with Gai." He said.

Gai was about to speak, but Sasuke rudely interrupted. "Why help that stupid dobe? I mean, everyone here knows WHAT he really is." He sneered.

Hitomi had heard just about enough. She moved faster than he could react and delivered a slap that could have made the Shinigami wince. She stood there trembling with fury, trying to find her voice.

"I know more about him than you could imagine, BOY. I know that he is a sweet, kind, and considerate young man who has been unjustly persecuted against for sins that he never commited! He did not choose his burden, as it was thrust upon him from birth. Even dispite the horrendous and vile treatment he has received from this village, his spirit remained strong. He never complains about it, he simply lets it slide away and retains his kindness. Both he and his brother are very dear to my heart. My daughter loves him. Purely, simply, and honestly. She loves his brother like a father figure or big brother, someone she looks up to. They both share Yondaime-sama's spirit of warmth, kindness, and courage. Both brothers would sacrifice all they have to protect me, my daughter, and this village. They are not demons or monsters. They are my family's, as well as this village's, guardian angels." She finished, her pride for the Uzumaki brothers swelling within her and easily readable in her eyes.

Sasuke snorted in disgust while Homura and Danzo "Hmph'd". Ichigo mouthed a silent "Thank you", while Rin and Kakashi were filled with an even greater respect for the blonde duo. Sarutobi couldn't help but feel proud of them and Gai was almost in tears, chomping at the bit to teach the young Naruto and Sakura.

Sarutobi addressed Gai," Gai, would you be willing to trade two students for Naruto and Sakura?"

Gai closed his eyes, thought for a moment, then spoke. "I have known the story of Naruto-kun's life. I would be honored to train him in his springtime of youth and make his youthful fires blaze like a star in the night sky! I shall give you Tenten and Neji Hyuuga. I this acceptable, my youthful rival?" He all but shouted.

All in attendance sweatdropped. "I...Yes. I agree to this. It's only fair to Naruto and Sakura that they have a safe enviroment to learn in." Kakashi answered.

Hitomi gave Kakashi a grateful smile. "Thank you. Thank you..." She whispered gratefully.

Ichigo walked up to him and Gai. "Kakashi, Gai. Thank you both so very much. Should either of you require anything of me, don't hesitate to ask me. I owe you." He said gratefully, shaking their hands.

Sarutobi let a small grin creep in. "Then it's final. Neji and Tenten are now on Team Kakashi and Naruto and Sakura are now on Team Gai." He stated. Both Jounin sensei's aknowleged the decision. "Furthermore, the arranged marriage will not happen, not as long as I am Hokage." He dictated in his most authorative voice.

Sasuke was fuming with rage and hatred from this decsicion. "WHY?!? So you can keep your little pet happy?!?! How can anyone help or like that useless trash over me, an Uchiha?!?! I am the elite!!! You should be bowing and groveling at my feet, you worthless old fool!!!!" He ranted and raved, rage and hate overflowing with every word.

Sarutobi finally had enough of his insubordination. "ENOUGH!!!! HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY AUTHORITY, YOU INSOLENT CHILD?! YOU WILL LEAVE MY SIGHT NOW AND ACCEPT MY DECISION, OR I WILL STRIP YOU OF YOU NINJA STATUS PERMANENTLY, HERE AND NOW!!! FEEL FORTUNATE THAT I DON'T KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!!!!!" The old Hokage roared, his killer intent raging in the room.

Sasuke cowered under the intense pressure of the old Hokage's Ki and promptly fled the office, the two elders right behind him._ 'Before long, I'll get what I want, you old fool. Just you wait...'_

Ichigo turned to Hitomi, who was swaying on her feet. "Hitomi, we should get going." She didn't respond and that made him worry. "Hitomi, are you okay? Hitomi!" He shouted, startled as she collapsed into his arms.

He quickly checked her vitals and sighed in relief. "She's only tired. Hokage-sama, with your permission, I'd like to take her home so she can get some rest."

"Of course, Ichigo-kun. By all means..." He replied warmly.

With that, Gai, Kakashi, Rin also left the office. Ichigo picked Hitomi up gently in bridal style and bolted off for her house. Once they were gone, the old man sunk into his chair, very tired.

_'She really does think very highly of them. They are bringing her out of the shell she put on 12 years ago. I know that those brothers would lay down their lives to protect her, Sakura, and this whole village. Ichigo will make a fine Konoha shinobi.'_

_A/N: Another chapter down. In hope nobody expected the date to go perfectly with that little psychopath Uchiha running around. As for him not being punished for calling Naruto out for being the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, the council could easily protect him from such consequences. With Sarutobi, I thought that it was high time that he strapped on his combat boots and excercised his authority for once. That council pushes nhim around a little too much. If you push someone around long enough, they're going to start pushing back. _

_Also, I chose Gai for a reason. Despite his eccentricities, he is a good man down at his core and a first rate sensei it Lee in any indicator. Also, he tends to listen to all of his students, treating them equally and fairly. Naruto and Sakura would flourish under his teachings and with Naruto's friendly personality, he'd befriend Lee in a heartbeat. Lee would identify with Naruto, being a fellow Dead Last himself._


	7. A New Team Gai

_**Next one up and running. For those of you who called it, I DID mention an OCxOC pairing in my summary. To those who were hoping for Naru/Saku/Ino, I'm sorry but she will be mainly a good friend for the time being. She still feels terrible for telling Sakura to hate Naruto all those years ago and she is still trying to perform her pennance for her sins. Also this chapter marks the beginning of a new Team Gai and how Naruto and a new and improved Saukra handle his...uniqueness.**_

_**Please, enjoy yourselves.**_

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 0027 HRS**_

Ichigo arrived at the Haruno house and called his clones in to report. "Nothing to report,sir." One clone reported.

"Very good. Alright guys, pack it in for the night lets move!" Ichigo ordered.

The clones noticed the sleeping Hitomi in his arms and made catcalls at him and commentary. "Alright boss!" One clone called out before he dispelled.

Ichigo blushed a bit when he saw what one of his clones saw, a young woman changing. "Man, I hope they don't get me into trouble, those smartasses." He sighed shaking his head.

"Well, I guess the date was mostly a success." He mused upon entering the house.

He felt Hitomi shift a bit, then clutched him around his neck while mumbling in her sleep. "MMM...Ichigo-kun...thank you..." She breathed.

He chuckled when he heard her say that, because he wanted to thank her as well for the lovely evening. He pushed the thought aside for the time being as he carried the tired woman up to her room and tucked her into bed gently. He went back downstairs and found Naruto and Sakura, still asleep on the couch, snuggled into each other happliy.

He smiled wistfully when he saw it. _'I'm glad Hokage-sama fought the forced marriage attempt along side us. I wouldn't want to see this happiness end like that.'_ He mused, then yawned.

"I suppose I'll just go sleep in a corner or something." He said wearily, lying down in a corner of the living room and drifting off to sleep.

_**ICHIGO'S DREAMSCAPE**_

He stirred in his mind and stood up to see a pair of hazy images come closer to him. The haze cleared as the pair got closer, revealing them to be a tall man with spiky blonde hair and a woman with red hair. He didn't know who they were, but they spoke out to him.

_"Whoa! You really do kinda look like me, Ichigo!" _The tall blonde chirped.

"_Minato! Quit confusing him and tell him who you are!" _The red-haired woman admonished, whacking him on the back of his head.

_"OWW! Alright, Kushina-chan! Jeez!" Minato whined. _He proceeded to tell Ichigo the whole story of himself and Kushina. She told Ichigo that she had been watching him since he came into Naruto's life and that she knows his history and past. Kushina couldn't have been made any happier that this guardian angel came to be in her baby's life. She told Ichigo that she considers him her son as well since he bears her clan name. It was kind of awkward to call her mom, but he still liked the idea of having one.

_"I see that you've started to bring Hitomi-chan out of her shell, and that she kind of likes you, Ichigo-kun. I can tell you feel the same way about her. She needs someone like you in her life, so you have my blessing. Also, I see that my little baby found himself a sweetheart. Oh, I hope this works out for you boys..."_ Kushina clamored, fussing over him like a mother hen.

_"Got a girl already, huh? Being a ladies man must run in the family. Naruto has that Hyuuga girl chasing him and now he's seeing Hitomi's little girl. As for you, I can tell that Hitomi-chan's kinda sweet on ya. Must be 'cause you both inheirited my good looks." _Minato stated smugly with his arms across his chest, seeing as both boys found themselves a lady friend. However, their time was nearly up and they had to go now.

_"Keep each other safe. I will always love you, my little babies. You both have made me so proud, so keep it up. Your father and I will always watch over you both from heaven." _Kushina told him as she embraced him tightly. She and Minato then faded away and Ichigo woke up.

_**THE NEXT MORNING - HARUNO RESIDENCE - 0730 HRS. APRIL 23rd**_

Ichigo awoke from the strangely real dream to find that he had Naruto and Sakura curled up against his stomach. He smiled warmly at this, but then he looked at his 'pillow'. Yes, his head was pulled onto Hitomi's lap, with she herself sleeping soundly. He didn't want to wake everyone, but also didn't want to stay there, either. He quietly made a Shadow Clone and Kawarimi'd with it so that he could at least stretch out. He ventured into the kitchen and started on some breakfast on a whim.

Hitomi and the kids were awakend by a pleasant smell coming from the kitchen. _'MMM...Something smells great...wait. Where's Ichigo-kun?'_ Hitomi mused. She and the kids ventured into the kitchen to see a curious sight, one none of them would ever forget. Ichigo was wearing a pink apron, preparing tea and breakfast while humming to himself, looking oddly like some kind of newlywed.

Naruto couldn't help but snicker at this, while Sakura and Hitomi giggled. Hitomi snuck up behind him and hugged him. "This was very sweet of you, Ichigo-kun. By the way, thank you for carrying me home last night. You've certainly lived up to my expectations." She told him as she spun him around and kissed him on his cheek.

After a moment, they were all seated and happily munching away on some eggs and pancakes Ichigo whipped up. His stock with Hitomi rose again as she discovered the level of domestication he had. _'If only you were around back when I was younger, Sakura would've had someone like you around. I've been pretty lonely myself, all these years. I never thought that any man could ever measure up to my standards or Minato-kun, but you and Naruto-kun have both exceeded my hopes and expectations.'_ Hitomi thought as breakfast carried on.

Ichigo's eyes flew open in remembrance for a moment. "Oh! Before I forget, Kakashi wanted me to tell you something..." He started as he began to explain the outcome of last night's events.

"Gai wants you two to meet him near Hokage tower at 0900 so you can meet your new teammate and get to know him. Kakashi wanted to tell you that he's sorry that things had to be this way, but he did this to protect you two the only way he could. Hitomi and I consented to it. Gai really does want to help you, and I for one , am very grateful. Uhp...You two had better get ready soon." He finished, noticing the time.

Naruto noticed Hitomi getting up to handle the dishes and offered to help. He was rewarded with a quick peck to the forehead and a thank you as all four diners pitched in. 10 minutes and a clean kitchen later, the Uzumaki's got up to leave.

"I'll pick you up at 0830, if it's alright with you, Sakura-chan."

"O-okay, Naruto-kun. I'll be ready. Bye for now."

As she saw Naruto and his brother round the corner, she turned to her mom. "Mom, are you really okay with me liking Naruto-kun?"

Hitomi was stunned at the question. But she recovered. "Of course I'm okay with it, dear. Why wouldn't I be? He's a good boy, works hard, never gives up, and he cares for you more than anything else in this world. I trust that Ichigo-kun had his own little talk with you last night, but during mine, Naruto-kun deeply impressed me. I only wished he were around when I was young. You are a very lucky girl, Sakura. Men like him and his brother are a rare breed, and growing more so by the day."

"Thank you, mom. I just needed to hear it from you." She told her mother, hugging her. "Mom, do you like Ichigo-san?"

Hitomi flustered at this question. It was true that she was becoming attracted to the tall blonde, but didn't want things to get weird for her daughter. Sakura noticed her mothers reaction and quelled her fears.

"Mom, it's okay. He's an adult and so are you. You're still really young compared to the other moms and I know that you're lonely. I don't mind if you like Naruto-kun's big brother. I think it's great! Maybe we'll get more dates like last night. It was wonderful until Sasuke ruined it." Sakura said coyly.

Hitomi smirked at her daughters train of thought, but also agreed with it. "So, I guess the Uzumaki boys just got taken off the market by us Haruno girls." Hitomi winked. Sakura giggled and nodded. She then proceeded to get ready for her day.

_**UZUMAKI APARTMENT 0800 HRS.**_

The boys got back to the apartment and got changed, Naruto into his new standard outfit and Ichigo into some training sweats and shirt. Naruto's new outfit consisted of olive drab green cargo pants, a black shirt with the Uzumaki spiral on the front in red, and a matching O.D green vest over the shirt.

"So, Naruto, how was the date?" Ichigo asked him with a smirk.

"It was so awesome!! Everything you told and showed me worked beautifully!! She really does love me! Oh god, I love her, too!! Thanks for everything, aniki!"

"Ha ha! Forget about it, kiddo. It's on the house. You're my kid brother and I'm just looking after you like your aniki should. You just need to keep it up and always make her feel special every time you see her or even think about her. Do that, and you can't go wrong." The older blonde advised, but spied the time on the wall clock in their kitchen.

"I'd love to wax this over with you, but you've gotta get going."

"Yeah, you're right. But, what are you gonna do today?"

"I'm gonna train. I'd better be in top of my game if I want to stand a chance against Kakashi, Gai, and Kurenai. I'll also get some intel on them, as well. Can't charge into battle without a clue. Anyway, have a good day and tell Sakura hi for me."

Naruto nodded and bolted out the door. Ichigo pulled out two chakra control training scrolls. _'Hmm. Water walking and Wall climbing...This should be interesting.'_ He mused as he bolted for a secluded training spot that he found the other day.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 0820 HRS**_

"Mom, do you think Naruto-kun will like this?" Sakura asked her mom honestly.

"Of course he'll like it. He'd like anything you do." She told her daughter.

Sakura had decided to something different from now on. She now wore the hair she grew out for Sasuke back in a loose ponytail with her bangs still hanging out. This made her look more womanly than before and it was more functional. She admitted that she liked her new look.

She and her mom had talked to a bit when Naruto and Ichigo left. She said that Kakashi and Ichigo told her that with her chakra control, she would be an excellent medic. She remembered that Tsunade of the Sannin was a medic and told her mother that was what she was aiming for. She wanted to be strong enough to support Naruto should he need her help. Her mom was very proud of her for setting her sights high and wants to help the one she cares about, and is willing to put in the effort to accomplish her goals.

Sakura saw Naruto come into view as he barreled around the corner, in a rush to be on time. She giggled as she saw his flustered face.

"Whew! Made it. Sorry Sakura-chan, I..." He began to apologize, but he looked up and saw her new look, which left him speechless. "W-wow, Sakura-chan! Y-you look great!" He exclaimed.

Sakura flushed. "You really like this, Naruto-kun?" She asked shyly. Hitomi watched from the doorway with an amused smirk adorning her features. _'This is too adoreable!! I wish I had my camera handy!' _

They stood and talked for another few moments before they headed off to meet their new team.

_**NEAR HOKAGE TOWER 0840 HRS.**_

The two young genin made their way toward Team Gai's meeting spot. Along the way, Sakura told Naruto about how her mom feels about Ichigo. She half-expected him to be weirded out by it, but he wasn't known for suprises for nothing.

"Well...aniki's an adult, your mom's an adult. I think this is pretty cool!" He exclaimed, but shifted gears. "I mean, this just shows we have the same awesome taste, right Sakura-_hime_?" He asked her coyly.

Her only response was to giggle and clutch his arm, hugging it close to her. _'I know that I've said this before, but I'll say it again...I'm so glad that I opened my eyes and saw Naruto. Chasing after Sasuke would have been a waste of time. I always had to act around him. But with Naruto, I can be who I really am. I feel free... I am free...'_ She thought as they made it to the meeting spot.

The two chatted it up until they saw a boy about a year older than themselves, dressed in a green unitard, orange leg-warmers, sporting a bowl cut and the biggest eyebrows they'd ever seen, walk up.

"Huh? Who are you? Where are Neji and Tenten?" The fashion-challenged boy asked.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know." Sakura replied.

"Yeah, same here. All we know is that we were placed on this team. So...I guess we're your new teammates!" Naruto said cheerfully, extending his hand. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki!"

Sakura followed suit. "Hello! My name is Sakura Haruno." She greeted the Moe Howard look-alike.

The boy had the decency to look embarrased. "Oh! Please pardon my bad manners. I am Rock Lee, Konoha's handsome Green Beast!" He announced quite loudly. Before they could reply with anything, the source of Lee's fashion faux pas showed up in his usual manner, which usually scared small children and the local wildlife for at least a mile radius.

"YES, MY YOUTHFUL STUDENTS!! LET US DO INTRODUCTIONS TO RE-FAMILIARIZE OURSELVES AS A TEAM!!" He all but shouted as he pointed to Sakura to start off. "You shall start, my youthful young lady!" He shouted enthusiastically.

She sweatdropped for a moment, but recoved. "My name is Sakura Haruno. My likes are my friends, Naruto-kun, Ichigo-san, my mom, and training. My dislikes are close-minded people, snobs, and arrogant jerks. My dream is to become a medic like the legendary Tsunade."

_'Ahhh...She sounds determined...I'll help her along her path.'_

Gai turned to Naruto next. "Now, it's your turn, Naruto-kun!" He boomed.

"Uh...right. I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen, Sakura-chan, Ichigo-aniki, Ms. Haruno, and all my friends. My dislikes are the three minute wait for instant ramen, people who look down on others, and people who are just plain jerks. My dream is to become Hokage and to be strong enough to protect this village and all my precious people, who I'll protect with my life."

_'I think that Kakashi was robbed of two fine students. It's too bad that the council is so bent on pampering the Uchiha. I see massive potential in these two, as well as Lee. I'll have to see about getting her an apprenticeship with the medical corps, if she's interested. Having a trained medic around can be the difference between life and death.'_

"Okay Lee! Your turn!"

"Hai, Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted excitedly, snapping a salute. "I am Rock Lee! I like training and Gai-sensei! I dislike laziness and arrogant people! My dream is to show the world that I can be a top notch shinobi without Ninjutsu and Genjutsu!"

With intros out of the way, Gai explained how things worked on his team, then set them to train. Sakura and Naruto paled when they found out how much Lee's weights weighed, but Gai assured them that he was going to start them out light. "These are Chakra weights. The more chakra you pump into them, the more they weigh." He told them as he handed them the weights. They adjusted them to a comfortable weight to start with and began to run laps around the training area at Gai's instruction. After an hour, he set them to spar against one another.

They squared off and began using what Ichigo had taught them, mixed in with basic Academy taijutsu. The result was an interesting hybrid style, combining basics of the Academy, and the straight forward and in your face tactics of Ichigo's Muay Thai. Gai's attention was grabbed when Naruto over-extented a jab and Sakura made him pay for it. She side-stepped the blow, spinning around to deliver an elbow to the back of Naruto's head. The whiskered blonde simply brushed himself off and congradulated her on her counter, while getting back into position again.

To say that Gai was impressed would be an understatement. He was deeply intrigued with this new hybrid taijutsu and its applications. He asked if if they would teach him and Lee, but Naruto told them that they would have to ask Ichigo for that since they barely started their own training in the style. Gai let the explaination stand and training continued until around 4:30 P.M. Gai was generally pleased with how the first day went. Naruto and Sakura actually befriended Lee and included him in their training, a far cry from Neji. Naruto's open and friendly personality really helped him bond rather quickly with Lee, and made Gai pity Kakashi for the loss of his students. But one man's loss was anothers treasure, he reasoned, and he wants to train them to the best of his ability and share all of his knowledge with them, just like with Lee.

Gai straightened himself as he addressed his team." Naruto, Sakura. You two may keep those weights. Remember to always keep them on and try not to take them off unless necessary. This way, your strength, speed, and stamina will increase exponentially before you know it!"

"Hai, Gai-sensei!" They choursed.

Naruto looked over to Gai and got his attention. "Something wrong, Naruto-kun?" He asked his new student jovially.

"I-I just...want to say thank you, Gai-sensei. Thanks for the weights, and thanks for actually wanting to teach a dobe like me." He said with a weak smile.

Sakura started to get upset at this. "Naruto-kun! You are NOT a dobe to me! You've always worked so hard at everything you do! Remember what your brother said,_'The hard worker will always defeat the genius'_." She chided and bopped him on the back of his head.

But then she wrapped her arms around him affectionately. "You're no dobe, okay? What that jerk Sasuke says doesn't matter." She soothed.

Lee couldn't resist the urge to jump in. "YOSH!! SAKURA-SAN IS RIGHT, NARUTO-KUN!! LET YOUR YOUTH BLAZE IN GLORY AND NO ONE CAN STOP YOU!!!!"

Gai normally would have shouted his agreement with Lee, but he was intrigued by Ichigo being mentioned again. "I have met your brother, Naruto-kun. I would really like to know him better. He sounds just like his namesake, wise and strong. If I'm not mistaken, I am to face him in order to judge his skill with taijutsu."

Sakura perked up at the mention of the test. "Gai-sensei, when and where will the test be?"

"It will be in one month at the Chunnin Exam Stadium at 9 in the morning. You are all invited to attend!" He announced while facing them all.

"Okay team! Let's break for the day!"

The team broke for the day and the NaruSaku pair made their way home. Along the way, they got to discussing their new team.

"So, uh, Sakura-chan...What do you think of our new team?"

"Well, Lee's a nice guy. A little over the top, but nice. As for Gai-sensei, he's kinda weird, but sincere. He really wants to help us out. This weight training is gonna be hard, but I think I can manage. If anything, we'll be faster and stronger than before."

"Yeah, I see what you mean. I still can't help but wonder how Kakashi-sensei's doing..."

As Naruto mused, Kakashi chose this moment to pop up behind them. "Awww...It's nice to know that my former students care about me like that..." Naturally, this scared the living hell out of them.

"AHHHH!!" They screamed in unison. "WHAT THE HELL, KAKASHI-SENSEI?!"

"Sorry, sorry. Geez, you're so jumpy."

"Well, anyways," Sakura said, starting the conversation up again, "How's your new team working out for you?"

Kakashi sighed tiredly. "The Hyuuga kid and Sasuke are almost like two sick little peas in a pod. He's almost as bad as Sasuke at times, but at least that Tenten girl has a level head on her shoulders. I'm sorry about switching you two, but I did this so that you would be allowed a chance at becoming good shinobi. Gai worked wonders with his student, Lee, so I know he can do the same for you. I couldn't just get rid of Sasuke for reasons I believe you two have the right to know. First, is that none of the other senseis want him due to his attitude. The second, is that the council demanded that I teach him everything I know, which I think is a VERY bad idea. Lastly, they want me to train his Sharingan, should it ever awaken." He told them, finishing with a sigh and a downcast expression. Something told them that he hoped the Sharingan would never awaken.

He suddenly perked up. "Well, I'd better get going. I need to pick up Rin. I'll see you two later, and say hi to Ichigo for me."

"Alright, later, sensei. Say hello to Rin-neechan for me." He said, as he and Sakura pressed on home.

_**YAMANAKA FLOWER SHOP 1520 HRS**_

Ino had just gotten home from training and D-rank missions with her team that day and was mentally recapping what Shikamaru and Chouji told her about what they saw last night. _'Looks like my fashion advice was dead on! I need to thank Anko-san next time I see her. And who would have guessed that Sakura's mom would have gone for Ichigo? Talk about wild!'_ She mused with a wide grin.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she saw two familiar sights coming down the street. "Hey! Forehead! Whiskers!"

They stopped and looked to see who was talking to them and found Ino.

"Hey, Ino-pig!"

"Hi, Ino-chan!"

"So, how did the date go last night?! I want ALL the details!" She practically begged them with a certain gleam in her baby blue eyes. Good gossip was always her cup of tea, and this was as good as it got! They chatted it up for a bit with Ino, a testament to their newly resurrected friendship in Sakura's case, and Ino's new friendship with Naruto. Sakura filled her in on all the details of the date the previous night, warts and all.

"WHAT THE HELL IS SASUKE'S DAMAGE?!?!" Ino yelled as she fumed over the foolish actions of her former crush.

"But..." She changed gears in mid-rant, getting all starry-eyed. "That sounded like such a romantic date!! A formal dinner and dancing!" Ino squealed excitedly.

Ino suddenly stopped and snapped her fingers as something dawned on her. "I think I know how to call in that favor that Ichigo-san owes me for my fashion advice, now!" The blonde girl cackled with barely restrained glee.

Naruto sweatdropped. "Uh, Aniki promised you a favor, didn't he?"

Ino giggled madly and replied, "Yep! I'm gonna go ask him next time I see him! That's my favor, a date!"

Sakura deadpanned. "You're...serious, aren't you?"

"Damn right!"

They gabbed on for another half an hour until the new young couple had to break it off to go home. _'And to think, I was starting to have feelings for you, Naruto. Oh well, you and Sakura make such a cute couple, and I was kinda responsible for breaking the two of you apart. I wish you two happiness. You win, Forehead...' _Ino thought as she watched them leave with a sad smile on her face.

Inoichi and his wife had watched the whole thing. They felt that their daughter had shown a lot of maturity since she stopped fan-girling the Uchiha boy. Inoichi was highly worried about one thing, however, the council. The civilian council had gained much power and influence over the past decade, and had used it to take out all of their fears and frustrations on one little boy, turning Naruto into their scapegoat for everything that the Kyuubi did. The resulting neglect and abuse that the poor boy had been sujected to would have broken a lesser man ages ago, but the sheer fact that he's still sane and otherwise doing just fine is nothing short of a miracle, a testament to his inner strength.

Inoichi and his wife had tried to adopt Naruto, but the council had blocked his efforts. The Nara's, Akimichi's, Inuzuka's, Aburame's, Ichiraku's, Anko Mitarashi, Kakashi, Rin, Hitomi Haruno, Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, Yuugao Uzuki, even the Legendary Jiraiya and Itachi Uchiha all wanted to take the boy in at one point, but were all prevented from doing so by the Uchiha's and Hyuuga's, who wanted him dead because they feared his potential if he were to be able to fully harness the Kyuubi's powers, who in turn convinced the main council and the villagers that Naruto was the beast itself.

The two elder Yamanaka's collected their thoughts as they remembered what they saw of their daughter in recent days. They knew that Ino found out about the Kyuubi, but this only drew her closer to him. She had done what no one his own age had ever done for him before, offered him a kind ear and shoulder. Ino had broken through the mask Naruto had erected to help him deal with his pain.

The Haruno girl was another story. She knew about the fox as well, but she saw beyond that and found the real Naruto, a boy that she felt was more than worthy of her heart. She gave him her love, pure and unconditional love. It didn't take a genius to figure out that meant the world to the lonely boy.

Both parents let out a tired sigh. "I...I'll help those two where ever I can. I just hope it'll be enough." Inoichi told his wife worriedly.

Shiho clasped her hands in front of her and closed her eyes. "I'll say a prayer, to whatever gods who will hear me, to protect those two from whatever that foolish council may try."

_**ENROUTE TO THE HARUNO RESIDENCE 1630 HRS.**_

As they walked down the streets, Sakura noticed all of the hate-filled glares that were sent Naruto's way, but he either didn't seem to notice, or they just didn't bother him. She simply glared back at them, almost daring them to actually say something. But, to their misfortune, someone did.

A drunk and haggared looking man stepped out of an alleyway, eyeing her with contempt. "So..." He drawled out with a sneer. "The Fox-Brat found himself a little slut, huh? So girl, how does it feel to betray this village to become the whore of the demon, huh? HUH?!" He snarled as he reached out for her.

Before he could reach her, Naruto slapped his hand away. "Don't you call Sakura-chan that or anything else!! I won't let you touch her!!!" He snarled. Kyu stirred in her cage in response to Naruto's spike in anger.

_**"Kit, calm down. I know you just want to protect your mate, but drawing on my power here and now will only make things worse. These foolish villagers will only try to harm your mate, or even kill her. But don't worry, I'll help should you need me."**_

Naruto's momentary lapse in concentration cost him, as the drunk became enraged at Naruto's attempt to protect Sakura which resulted in a half-filled Sake bottle being smashed over his head. The end result was a paticularly nasty gash on his head that bled, a lot. The man made to stab the stunned Naruto with the broken bottle, but Sakura and Naruto were snatched out of harms way just before it connected by a blonde blur. Sakura looked up and saw the deep blue eyes of their rescuer.

"I-Ichigo-san!!"

"Are you two alright?!"

"I am, thanks to Naruto-kun. But he... he"

"Don't worry. Let's just get going."

"Ah! But what about..."

"Wha...Oh, them. Don't worry. A new friend is helping out on that front."

With that said, he motioned down to the street below them. A lone kunoichi with wavy black hair and crimson eyes faced the angry mob that gathered.

She weaved out a few hand seals and fixed the mob with an angry glare._**"MAGEN : NARAKUMI NO JUTSU!"**_ She cried out as she cast a low level genjutsu on the unruly crowd, subdueing them quickly. She then nodded to Ichigo, who understood and they both lept off toward the same destination.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 1723 HRS.**_

The group made it Sakura and Hitomi's house safely. Hitomi was just returning home from a day mission when they rolled up to the house. She saw Ichigo cradle Naruto's bleeding head in his arms and her blood ran cold. She ushered them inside quickly as she rushed to grab her medical kit.

Ichigo had taken of his shirt to lay under Naruto's head to absorb the blood. As he worked on his baby brother's injuries, the two older women only had one thing on their minds _'YUM!'_, as they saw his bare upper body.

Sakura had a different thought, because she saw his back. She gasped in horror as she saw that his back was covered with awful and painful looking scars and old wounds. Her reaction caught the other womens attention, who shared similar sentiments.

They questioned him on it, but he gave them a simple and solemn answer. "Before my new life here, I was a mercenary. That is all I can tell you...for now." He finished with a haunted look on his face. They were quite sure that every scar had a painful memory behind it.

Naruto slowly started to come around. His hazy vision barely made out Ichigo. "Mmm...uuhhh...aniki?" He groaned out.

"Yeah. I'm here, kiddo. So, how about that goose-egg on your noggin, eh?" Ichigo chuckled warmly.

Naruto rubbed the bump gingerly. "Ite...That smarts..." He muttered, but then he looked downcast.

"What's wrong?"

"S-Sakura-chan...she could have been hurt...because of me..."

Saukra's heart broke when she heard him say that. "Naruto-kun, don't say that! I knew what to expect, and I don't care. Please...don't push me away." She cried, but calmed herself.

"This is why I want to get stronger, for you..." She trailed off as she gave him a chaste, but heartfelt kiss on his lips.

Naruto looked at her in awe, but schooled his features into that of gratitude. "Thanks, Sakura-chan..."

Ichigo mentioned that he would need a new shirt to replace the one he used for Naruto's injury. Hitomi giggled, blushed and lent him a shirt while she took him to an outfitter to get a new one. Kurenai offered to stay with Naruto and Sakura until they returned, to which they gave her a grateful smile.

_**KONOHA BUSINESS DISTRICT - 1821 HRS**_

Hitomi took Ichigo to her favorite shinobi outfitter to get his new clothes. He looked around and found some royal blue pants, a matching shirt, some fingerless gloves with metal plates on the backs, and a blue bandana. Hitomi highly apporved, telling him he finally looked like a shinobi and she couldn't wait to see him wear the Konoha Hitai-ite, and maybe a chuunin vest.

"Looking good, Ichigo-kun." She cooed at him, making him blush and fluster, much to the amusement of the store clerk, a young brown haired girl with her hair in buns. After all the articles were paid for, they set out back to her house.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE - 1852 HRS**_

Hitomi and Ichigo walked into the house, "Sakura! Naruto! We're back!" She announced.

"Okay, mom!"

"Hey, aniki." Naruto called out, still clutching his head.

"Hey there, kiddo. You feel any better?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, then. Let's go home."

"Right. Well, uh..g'night, Sakura-chan." Naruto said shyly.

Sakura found this to be absolutely adoreable, giving him a hug and kiss. "Goodnight, Naruto-kun."

With that, the two brothers went home. Sakura watched them go with a pensive look on her face. Her mother noticed this and asked her what was wrong.

"What's wrong, dear? Are you worried for them?"

Sakura just nodded silently and replied. "Yeah. I can't help it after what I saw today. But, I know that Ichigo will protect him."

_'You've grown a little stronger today, Sakura dear. Naruto is a fine choice. He will help you grow to be the beautiful blossom I know you can be.' _Hitomi mused as she gazed upon her daughter with pride.

She then turned her attention to the evening sky. _'What ever gods that can hear me, please...please protect them from whatever this foolish village and its council may try.' _She prayed for her family's two guardian angels.

_**ICHIRAKU RAMEN STAND 1922 HRS**_

Both of the brothers were seated at the small stand and already slamming down bowls of ramen, much to the delight of the Ichiraku's. They had been dicussing the events which happened during the whirlwind of a day.

Ayame had been listening in interestedly. "So," She chimed in. "She kissed you in the lips, eh Naru-kun? I don't know if I should be happy or jealous." She teased him while lightly ruffling his hair.

Naruto blushed heavily as he replied, "A-Ayame-neechan! Come on!" He whined.

"Don't be shy, you little stud!" Ichigo teased.

"Aw come on Aniki! Not you too?!"

"Hey now, relax kiddo. You're a lucky kid. She's gonna grow up to be a real beauty, hotter than her mom more than likely. And her mom is HOT."

Naruto looked at him funny when he blurted out that last part. Ichigo had the good graces to look embarassed.

"Oops...I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Naruto looked at him like he grew another head as he nodded. That awkward moment was soon forgotten as soon as Teuchi set another bowl in front of the two.

After their 10th bowl apiece, they paid their tabs and got up to head for home. "Well kiddo, we'd better turn in for the night."

Naruto yawned and agreed with him. "Right. G'night Teuchi-jii, Ayame nee-chan." He called out tiredly as the two brothers made their way back to the apartment.

A/N: Nothing much to add from what I said at the top. In this chapter, Sakura grows a little more from her experience with the village's blind hatred and is a little stronger for it, using it to fuel her desire to stand strong next to Naruto. Also, in the next installment, Ino calls in her favor, Ichigo experiments with jutsu, has his placement exam and more! Hinata will get some story time as well. She finds out about Naruto and Sakura getting together and she doesn't take it too well. Sorry Hina-chan!


	8. Trial of the Guardian

Finally, we get to see some real combat! Ichigo gets to bust loose in this chapter and we begin to see some real developments in the relationship between Ichigo and Hitomi, the two of them becomeing far more comfortable with each other. Also, we get to see Hinata again in this chapter!

_**TIME SKIP : 1 MONTH LATER **_

_**MAY 23rd UZUMAKI APARTMENT 0800 HRS**_

Ichigo woke up in a groggy haze and moved slowly to the kitchen to make some breakfast. He noted that Naruto was nowhere in sight, but reasoned that he was probably with his team by now.

As he finished eating and started to get dressed and ready for his big exam, his mind wandered back over the past month.

_The training of Naruto and Sakura was coming along nicely. The two were highly dedicated to their efforts and it helped that Ichigo's methods were similar to Gai's in many ways. Gai was just happy to see his students flourish in such a manner. _

_As for the favor that Ino requested of Ichigo in return for her help, she wanted a date with him, just one. He asked Hitomi about what to do about it, and she just laughed her ass off. After she calmed down, she said that he should follow through, so he did just that. _

_When he picked her up for the date, Inoichi greeted him at the door with a glare that could make even the toughest of criminals empty their bowels...until his wife smacked him in the head from behind. Shiho simply giggled and called Ino downstairs. Ichigo had to admit that as young as Ino was, she was a looker and would only get more beautiful as time went on, just like her mother._

_The date went off without a hitch. He had himself under a henge the whole time as a 13 year-old version of himself so that people wouldn't call him a pedophile. Ino had no complaints about it, though. She thought that it would look a little strange that she was on the arm of someone twice her height and at least 9 to 10 years her senior. But she thought that the younger version of him looked just as cute. _

_He took her to the same restaurant he took Hitomi, Naruto, and Sakura to for dinner and dancing, a light walk to work off the light dinner some more, and a spot of ice cream before he returned her home, where he gave her a kiss on the cheek to say goodnight. The girl nearly melted on the spot, much to her mother's amusement. Shiho had taken a picture of the goofy look on her daughter's face after her first date and it was priceless. Ino didn't care about the picture, though. The date had been nothing short of perfect in the girl's mind and she was glad that she had shed her 'Uchiha Affliction', otherwise this might have passed her by._

_The ninjutsu that Hitomi gave him to master didn't last him very long, as he mastered them very quickly. His 'enhancements' made him a phenominally fast learner, able to process information with mind-boggling ease and speed. Once finished with those , he set to work on a few originals that he had been contemplating._

_One of the most surprizing to see was a wind jutsu he had dubbed the __**FUUTON : KYO TATSUMAKI KAIMETSU**__, which was easily one of the most horrifyingly powerful jutsu Sarutobi had ever seen, if the damage to the training ground Ichigo was using was any gauge of its power. All that was seen from the tower was a trio of massive tornados that seems to orbit one spot, in a fashion that only could have been a jutsu of some sort. _

_Another was a Lightning jutsu that resembled a large energy beam that Ichigo had dubbed __**RAITON : RAIKOUHOU**__. This one had sort of, relandscaped, part of the mountain range that made up the Northern border of the village. This led to Sarutobi to ask Ichigo to cut down on the mass destruction jutsu unless he clears it through his office first. Both jutsu were immeadiately classified as S-Rank jutsu._

_Ichigo also trained with Hitomi when they had the chance. During which, he taught her a taijutsu style that fit her like a glove, Tae Kwon Do. She had the natural flexibility for it, so much so that it gave him a few dirty thoughts, but he ruthlessly quashed them before she noticed. She was acutally an extremely fast learner and enjoyed their sessions together. They both secretly entertained thoughts of their spars being dates._

_Hitomi had yet to tell Ichigo how she felt about him, despite her daughter having her back. Everytime she tried, either something came up or she lost her nerve. She still felt some insecurities about herself when it came to her looks. She felt that she wasn't as pretty as some of the other kunoichi that were crushing on him and she still wasn't fully over the fact that she and her daughter were abandoned by a man she thought loved her. She also felt sad that she couldn't bear children anymore due to birth complications that arose with Sakura. She knew that she would not be able to build a family with him if it came to that. _

_What she didn't notice was that Ichigo had developed a healthy attraction to her as well. He found her to be very vibrant, intelligent, and beautiful in her own right. He also had trouble telling her how he felt, but for different reasons. He felt that he wasn't human, that he was some kind of man-made monster, an inhuman beast with a humans appearance. He felt that if he had any children, they would be in grave danger if anyone found out what he truly was. But one thing he knew for certain, was that he does truly love her._

Ichigo shook himself out of his memories as he locked the door behind him and vaulted on to the roof of the apartment complex. He did so to get a good, deep breath of morning air.

Then, in a loud booming voice he shouted, "LOOK OUT, KONOHA!! THE BLONDE HURRICANE IS HERE TO STAY!!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, before he bolted at top speed toward the Stadium, where his test was to take place.

_**CHUNNIN EXAM STADIUM 0850 HRS**_

Ichigo arrived in a yellow colored blur to see Gai, Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma waiting there with their teams, along with Hitomi, Rin, Anko, and the Hokage himself. "Ah, Ichigo-kun. Right on time."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi's features took on a stern look,"Uzumaki Ichigo, are you ready to begin?"

"Hai."

"Very well. GAI!!"

Gai disappeared and reappeared in front of Sarutobi. "Hai Hokage-sama!"

"Lets see how well our ninja hopeful fares with Taijutsu." The old Hokage stated with a smirk as he turned to the crowd.

"This bout will be your Taijutsu and Physical Ability portion of your exam. It will end at my discretion, knockout, or admission of defeat. Fighters ready?" He asked them, to which they nodded.

"Very well, HAJIME!!" He roared as he retreated to a safe distance.

No sooner than he retreated, the two fighters disappeared in a burst of speed. The only clue as to where they were was the cracking sound of flesh meeting flesh as they re-appeared with their forearms locked in a stalemate.

Gai was fairly impressed that someone matched his move so quickly. "Ichigo-kun, you really are fast! You clearly burn with the flames of youth! Now, we shall test your skill and ability!" Gai shouted as he switched tactics.

The fight now slowed down to the point that all present could follow the battle, but were still amazed by the sheer skill the two combatants displayed.

As the two traded blows Ichigo slipped into a familiar stance.

_'Muay Thai!'_ Naruto thought as he recognized the stance and style, as Ichigo let fly with a barrage of roundhouse kicks and punches that seemed to blur. Suddenly, Ichigo caught Gai full on with a slashing kick to the abdomen, causing him to stumble back. He looked up to see Ichigo waiting in a different stance for him to recover.

"Why did you not press the advantage?" Gai asked.

"Why do that if this isn't a life or death battle? You are an ally and that would be rude of me." Ichigo replied simply.

Gai grinned at this, and fell back into the Goken ready position. "Yosh! I am now ready, Ichigo-kun! Come!"

With that, the fight was back on. Off to the sidelines, the others watched in amazement and awe at the sheer skill and power that was on display.

Sarutobi smirked. "Someone is actually keeping up with Gai." The old man chuckled.

Asuma spoke up next. "He must still have his weights on. But this is still impressive as hell, though. That guy could probably kick my ass in a straight Taijutsu fight."

Kurenai shook her head at his inattentiveness, but sought to bring him up to speed. "You mean those weights, Asuma?" She said as she gestured with her index finger to a pair of weights sitting in their own respective craters, making Asuma's jaw drop.

"Gai must want to test Ichigo to the fullest extent that he can, as well as himself. It's not terribly often that another Taijutsu specialist of his own calibre comes along." Kakashi mused out loud.

Just as he said that, Ichigo landed a right-cross, followed up by a rising left roundhouse kick that played Gai a little chin music, and finished up the combo by following up with an immeadiate swiping right roundhouse kick that sent the green-spandexed Jounin spiraling into the air, only land several feet away. Gai got up slowly and brushed himself off.

Kakashi gave an impressed whistle at the skill and finness of the combo. "That was pretty good. He waited for the right moment for the set up, then unleashed it."

Sasuke had a different thought. _'If I only had my Sharingan...I could copy their fighting styles. I have to admit that they are pretty impressive...'_

"Nice one, Aniki!"

"Yosh!! I see that you are not to be taken lightly, my youthful opponent!" Gai shouted, his excitement boiling over.

"Now, it is time to take this fight to a higher level!!" He bellowed out, followed by the phrase, _**"ASA KUJAKU!!!"**_. As this was screamed out, a large plume of chakra erupted from behind him like a peacocks plume, raising small parts of the ground with it.

Kakashi saw this and gasped in shock. _"I've never seen anyone push Gai this far! I'm not sure that I could beat him like this, even with my Sharingan! ' _He exclaimed mentally. "This fight just went to a level than I can't even touch..." He admitted.

Sasuke just grunted and sneered. "So what? When I get my Sharingan, I could probably do that just by copying his jutsu..." He started but was cut off by Ichigo's reply to the situation.

Ichigo saw this and let out an impressed whistle. "Whew! I've gotta say that I'm impressed! Well, I guess I'll follow suit!!" He hollared.

He breathed deeply, then exhaled. "Safety limiters release. Increase power from 10% to 50% output." As he did this, a faint, unearthly blue glow surrounded him as blue lines appeared on his skin.

Then with a blood-curdling warcry, a chakra surge unlike anything they had ever felt before exploded out of him with an unholy amount of force, shattering the ground around him up to a 7 foot radius as the ground continued to quake. The very walls of the stadium were beginning to crack from the sheer pressure of his power.

Kakashi hadn't felt so outclassed since the Kyuubi attacked the village. He stood rooted to his spot, awed but terrified of the colossal amount of power he just bore witness to. _'He could rip this entire village apart by himself if he wanted to, and nobody could stop him...Hell he could probably lay waste to Fire Country on his own!! I've never felt this terrified before, even when the Fox attacked...What's more, he said 50%...That means that this is only half of what he's really capable of.'_

Kakashi regained control of himself to remember what Sasuke had said only a mere moment ago. "Do you see now, Sasuke? That power could never come from any jutsu...that is pure heart and hard work. It's something they've had inside of them all along."

Sasuke paid little attention to the cycloptic Jounin beside him and had just wet himself when he felt the unearthly powerful chakra pulse blast past him. To him, it felt like the power was choking him. _'THIS is the dobe's brother?!!? This monster?!? He could have killed me without even lifting a finger!! Why...Why do they get all of this power when I deserve it more?!?!?!'_

Hitomi, Naruto, Sakura, and Ino weren't afraid, but proud that Ichigo had proven his skill and might in front of the Hokage. "Atta' boy, Ichigo-kun!!" Hitomi cheered.

"Alright, aniki!!! That was so freaking awesome!!!" Naruto shouted proudly. He turned to Kiba and the others. "That's my big brother out there!!!"

The Fox, however had a different reaction. _**'He...he can't be human...There shouldn't be a human with the ability to match a Bijuu in sheer power, but there he is. For the first time in all of my existence, I have felt true fear. I am just glad to have such a powerful ally in protecting my precious kit.'**_

The rest of the genin and their senseis all watched as Ichigo delivered his own version of Shock and Awe. Neji activated his Byakugan and tried to scan him, but the sheer amount of power that Ichigo radiated acted like a flashbang, blinding him rather painfully. He yelled out in pain before deactivating.

"Neji-kun!" Tenten cried, catching him.

"His...chakra..What IS he...He can't be human!"

With Team 8, Shino's bugs and Akamaru and Kiba were being driven nuts by the sheer amount of power being generated by the two combatants. Kiba barely managed to mutter out, "N-No way...that's crazy...this can't be real."

Shino's voice actually quivered for a moment when he responded to Kiba's mutterings. "This is very real. If he were to turn on this village, he would become a living nightmare. Nothing would survive..."

Rin and Anko sat in horror, the sheer amount of chakra and power on display rooting them to their seats. They soon got a grip on themselves and actually felt ashamed. The were actually frightened of the gentle young man they had taken in as one of their own for a moment. They knew that he would never unleash that power against them for any reason, because they knew that he was loyal to a fault and that power was there to protect them.

Sarutobi grunted and called the fight to a stop, lest over half the village be destroyed during the battle. "Alright, you two...that's enough!" He called out.

At his command, both contenders powered down. Gai sunk to one knee, panting heavily and obviously exhausted. Ichigo still stood upright, but was a little out of breath from the exertion. He walked over to Gai and helped him to his feet in a display of good sportsmanship, who chuckled and accepted heartily.

Sarutobi smiled at the display. _'So far, he has exceeded my expectations. Let's see if he can keep this up...'_ He mused as he observed the proceedings.

"YOSH!!! I HAVE FOUND A NEW RIVAL OVERFLOWING WITH THE FLAMES OF YOUTH!!!" Gai shouted out in glee, nearly causing hearing loss in all present. Kakashi was just glad that Gai now has someone else to bug now.

"Ichigo-kun, good job out there! I knew you had it in you!"

"Ichigo, time for your next test."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Ichigo was about to follow Sarutobi back out to begin the next test, until he felt a tug from behind. He turned around to be faced with Hitomi, Sakura, and Ino. Each one gave him a kiss on the cheek for luck as his face looked like it was going through a nuclear meltdown. He quickly remastered himself and followed the old man to face his next opponent, Kakashi.

His good luck wishes got an interesting reaction from the crowd :

Tenten thought that his reaction was kinda cute.

Neji, Sasuke, and Kiba all gave him jealous glares.

Kurenai and Asuma both gave an amused chuckle, while Hinata just squeaked out, "G-g-good l-luck, Ichigo-san..."

Sarutobi moved himself inbetween Kakashi and Ichigo. "Now this will be the Ninjutsu and Tactics portion of your exam. Except for lethal techniques, this will be a no-holds-barred match. Fighters ready?" He asked them, to which they nodded. "Very well...HAJIME!!"

With that said, Sarutobi retreated again to a safe distance as they both raced through hand seals.

_**"KATON : GOUKAKYUU!!"**_ Kakashi bellowed out as he launched a massive fireball.

_**"SUITON : SUITAIHOU!!"**_ Ichigo barked out as he spat out a massive gout of water to intercept the fireball.

The two jutsus met in an explosion of steam as Ichigo was obscured from view. Kakashi briefly used his Sharingan eye to scan the area for any traces of Ichigo.

He got his answer as four Ichigo's burst out of the cloud of steam and they all called out in unison _**"FUUTON : DAITOPPA!!"**_. All four attacks combined to create a massive tornado that surrounded Kakashi, just for him to disappear and leave behind a log.

_'Dammit! A Kawarimi!!' _Ichigo swore inwardly as he felt himself tugged underground by his ankles.

_**"DOTON : SHINJU ZANSHU!!"**_

Kakashi smirked as he beheld his handiwork, only to have that Ichigo explode on him. He managed to get away from the explosion in time, but as he recovered, he felt a cold, sharp edge against his throat. He looked over to his right to see a familiar smiling blonde holding the kunai.

"Sorry dude...Gotcha." He said simply with a grin.

Kakashi sighed and relented. He realized that if this had been a real battle, Ichigo could have killed him at this point.

"Well...You got me. Ware henjou." He sighed out tiredly.

Sarutobi grinned widely as he bellowed out, "Winner, Ichigo Uzumaki!!" _'My dear boy, you just keep on surprizing me...Your Taijutsu is top notch and you Ninjutsu and Tactical skills are astounding. You are definitely Jounin material. Let's see how you do in the final part of the exam.'_

Naruto jumped down to the arena grounds and bounded up to his brother. "Whoa!! I didn't know that Kage Bunshin's could be used like that! You've gotta show me that sometime!"

"Sure thing. If Gai doesn't mind, I'll help out in your Ninjutsu training." He mentioned, looking over to Gai for his approval.

"I don't mind at all. I can't really teach Ninjutsu execpt for the basics and I have no experience with the higher level jutsu. A good ninja should strive to be well rounded." Gai said seriously.

Ichigo turned back to Hitomi. "Thank you for those scrolls, Hitomi. If you hadn't lent them to me, I would have been sunk!"

She blushed attractively, but answered him. "Think nothing of it, Ichigo-kun. I was glad to help. I am very proud of you."

Kakashi walked up to him next. "That was pretty good back there. How did you come up with that?" He asked the tall blonde.

"Oh that. That was just an idea I was toying around with. It almost didn't work on you. You're pretty quick, you know that? If you grabbed me instead of one of my clones, you would have beaten me." Ichigo admitted.

"Maybe we should spar sometime and compare ideas?" The cycloptic Jounin suggested. Ichigo loved the idea and agreed.

Sarutobi approached him. "So, how are your chakra reserves doing?" He asked.

"I think I'm still around 80% of my max capacity, so I'm still good to go."

"Very well, Ichigo. Now, you face our Genjutsu Mistress, Kurenai Yuuhi."

As he said this, the crimson eyed kunoichi jumped down from the seating box. "Well well, Ichigo-san...Play nice now, huh?" She told him in a playful tone with a smirk to match.

She began to cast low to mid level Genjutsu on him one after another as he kept on throwing them off. She eventually wore him down, but she nearly went through her entire arsenal of jutsu, just short of her deadly Jibaku Satsu, and all of her chakra to do it.

"I...kun"

"Ich...un"

"Ichigo-kun..."

Ichigo woke up to Hitomi waving smelling salts under his nose. He tried to make his tired eyes bring the world back into focus as he heard Hitomi giggle.

"Welcome back." She smiled down at him. She explained the situation to him and brought him up to speed. He was to report to the roof of Hokage tower in ten minutes to hear his results. He and Hitomi wasted no time in getting to the tower.

_**HOKAGE TOWER 1058 HRS**_

Hitomi and Ichigo arrived at the tower with a couple of minutes to spare. Ichigo was wondering what they would be doing on the roof. To say he wasn't nervous would be a bare assed lie. He wanted to do well, but he was unclear what they considered good.

As they opened up the roof access door, they noticed that all of the examiners, their teams, and a few others had fallen into ranks off to the side of where the Hokage stood with a scroll in hand. The old ninja noticed his arrival.

"Ichigo Uzumaki. Front and center." He commanded sternly.

He gulped nervously, with a reassureing glance from Hitomi, who had fallen in with the others, he bolstered himself and posted before the Hokage.

"Ichigo Uzumaki, the results of your examination are in..."

The old man's stern gaze suddenly melted away into one of pride.

"It is with great pleasure that I instate you as a shinobi of Konoha. Furthermore, it is an honor that confer upon you the rank of Jounin. Congradulations, young man! You've earned it!" He finished with a proud smile. He unsealed the scroll he was holding to reveal a Jounin vest and a Konoha headband.

"Wear them with pride." He told the tall blonde as he put on the items, tying the headband around his forehead proudly.

He barely had time to register his new occupation before he was rushed by his new 'family'. "Ohh, I'm so proud of you!" Hitomi exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his neck as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

Naruto and Sakura hugged him around his waist. Ichigo could only reply weakly, "T-thank you, H-Hitomi..." with a slight tear rolling down his cheek as he clutched them all.

Sarutobi watched the 'family' with a smile. _'Since arriving here, you have already gained a supportive family for yourself and Naruto. You helped him find the love and happiness that would have otherwise eluded him had you not appeared in his life. You are like an answer to his deepest prayers, an angel sent from the heavens to watch over him and take him under your protective wing. Please...continue to watch over him and your new family. Protect them with the new purpose and life I have granted to you and the seemingly supernatural strength that you possess...Protect us all...'_

All the Jounin senseis came up to shake the hand of their new colleage. "So, what will you do now? Be a sensei? ANBU?" Asuma asked him.

Ichigo paused for a moment to think, then answered the chain-smoking Jounin. "Well, I was thinking that I'd just do missions for a few months until I figured that out. I know that I don't want to join the ANBU, because I want to stay near my family." He replied, smiling at Naruto and the Haruno's.

"Aniki...You really mean that?" He asked hopefully.

"Ichigo-san...Is that true?" Sakura asked him.

"Yeah, I do. I consider you family. Sakura, your mother and yourself took us in. For that, I consider you family. After all, after you and Naruto," He motioned to the pair, "Get married, we really will be a family!" He finished with a huge trademark Uzumaki smile on his face.

"ANIKI!?!"

"ICHIGO-SAN!?!

The two young genin both cried out in embarrasment, but the blushes on the both of them were undeniable, as well as their slight grins that showed that they weren't averse to the notion of getting married one day.

Hitomi picked up on it and couldn't help her motherly urges. "That means a handsome son-in-law and some beautiful grandbabies someday!" She squealed in delight.

Ino also wanted in on the action. "I've got dibs on Maid-of-Honor!!" She hollared out.

Amid all of the din, Ichigo scanned the crowd sub-consciously and was glad that he did, because he found two faces that worried him.

Hinata had a look of pure heartbreak on her face, while Sasuke's had a look of extreme rage and jealousy.

He made his way over to Hinata to see what was wrong and knelt down in front of her. "Hey now...What's wrong?" He asked her in a gentle, soothing tone.

"I-I-I w-wanted N-Naruto-kun to l-love me..." She whispered as her tears began to flow. "I was in love with him! Now it's too late!! I was too weak!!" She cried out in anguish as Ichigo took the sobbing girl into his arms.

He whispered soft encouragements into her ear while he stroked her hair while she clutched onto him for dear life, crying her heart out into his new vest.

Kurenai watched the scene with worry and was about to go over to her student when Sarutobi stopped her, and asked her to let him handle it.

"Shh, it's okay...calm down, calm down." He told her gently. Her sobbing lessened and her grip on him loosened. He looked her in the eyes, "Now, now. Pretty girls like you shouldn't have to cry like this. About my little brother and Sakura...this was six years in the making. This was certainly NOT your fault, so perish the thought. Love is never easy, Hinata-chan." He told her softly.

She looked him in his eyes in awe, but threw her arms around his neck again. "Besides, you still have him as a friend. You also have your teammates and your sensei." He motioned to her team.

"Also, you should try to have more confidence in yourself. You're a very pretty young lady and if you did, boys would be breaking your door down, begging you for a date. If I were your age, so would I. Although..." He paused, chuckling, "They'd have get past your teammates first, I'd imagine." He added, gesturing back to her team.

Shino adjusted his sunglasses and nodded while Kiba shouted out, "Damn right they will!"

She looked into his eyes again and found him to be sincere. She kissed him quickly on the cheek and hugged him tightly. "Thank you...Thank you so much Ichigo-sensei!!" She exclaimed as she rushed over to her teammates and embraced them, who hugged her back.

Kurenai gave her team one of her rare smiles, knowing that they are now much more tightly knit than ever before.

Watching this, Tenten sighed longingly. She then looked over to Kakashi, "Sensei...will our team ever be like that someday?"

The one-eyed nin sighed deeply. "I hope so." He replied, looking over at Sasuke and Neji, who were scowling at each other. _'Oh brother...2 'geniuses' on the same team...I hope I'm up to this...'_

Kurenai ventured over to Ichigo. "Ichigo-san, thank you. Thank you for what you did for Hinata and for talking some sense into her. You gave her the kind of support that her clan wouldn't even dare to try."

Ichigo looked concerned in light of this new information and asked her to elaborate. She told him of the treatment that Hinata receives from her own father. His eyes narrowed and he began to quake with a silent fury. "That's...awful..." Was the only reply he could give without lashing out. "So...that bastard is more of a sperm donor than a father to her..."

Kurenai nodded sadly. "Too true... Just now, you were more of a father figure to her than her real father. Once again, thank you." She added, bowing gratefully.

"Don't worry about it. It felt pretty good to be addressed as sensei, y'know? It felt...right. I just wanna watch over them, give them the guidance that I never had, especially kids like Naruto and Hinata. I want to protect them, but also help them grow." Ichigo finished.

Hitomi walked up to stand beside him and slipped an arm around his waist. "You'll make a wonderful sensei when you get your own team. I know you will." The pink-haired woman confided in him. "In the mean time, you might get assigned to a mission with me. I'll show you the ropes." She added with a wink.

Suddenly, Ichigo's stomach rumbled. "Ooooh...That's not good. I think I used up too much juice at once back there..." He mumbled.

Hitomi just chuckled lightly. "Ichiraku's?" She suggested. Both of the Uzumaki's gave a "Hell yeah!!" in unison. "Let's go then."

"Hey, Ichigo!" Asuma called out. "We're gonna have to take you out to drink sometime and give you OUR Jounin indoctrination!"

"Uhh...Okay." He replied nervously sweatdropping.

With that out of the way, the small group headed out towards Ichiraku. As they departed, Sarutobi reflected upon the pep talk his newest Jounin gave to the Hyuga girl. _'He is a most interesting one...I know he will make this village proud.'_

_**ICHIRAKU RAMEN STAND 1200 HRS**_

The group, plus Ino, piled into Ichiraku's for some lunch.

"Well, well Naru-kun," Ayame cooed. "Bringing not one, but two pretty girls here? I don't know if I should be happy or jealous." She teased.

Before anyone could say anything, she leaned in to whisper to Ino and Sakura. "You both have some good taste." Winking and motioning towards Naruto, who was talking with his brother.

Sakura giggled in agreement and Ino let out a non-too-subtle, "Damn right!"

Teuchi heard the whole thing and just chuckled. "Well now, it seems that you've gotten quite popular with the ladies as of late, Naruto-kun. It's about time that someone noticed him for who he really is." He said in a fatherly tone while ruffleing Naruto's hair.

He turned his attention back toward the rest of his customers. "So, special occasion?"

Hitomi took the opportunity to tell Teuchi about Ichigo's Jounin exam. "Very good! In this case, first bowls on the house for you all!"

"Alright!!" Ichigo and Naruto exclaimed in unison. Sakura cast a gentle smile in Naruto's direction,_ 'Don't ever change, Naruto-kun...You're fine just the way you are'_.

Hitomi gave a wistful gaze to the two blondes. _'Just like Minato...Both of them.'_

"Oi!! So how are my two favorite gaki's?" A familiar voice rang out. A second later, Anko stepped into the stand. "Hi hi, Naru-chan, Icchan!" She chriped.

"Anko-neechan, don't call me that!" Naruto whined.

"Icchan?! Were the hell did you come up with that childish name?!?" Ichigo exclaimed.

"I'll call you that because I want to, so there." Anko mock pouted and stuck out her tongue at them.

"Anyway, Gai, Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, Myself, and most of the other Jounin have invited you to a little get together we're throwing in honor of our newest Jounin tonight at 1900 at the Tanto Shinobi Bar. This is a special one, seeing as you are now the youngest active Jounin we have, making you the baby among us." She added playfully while pinching his cheek, enjoying getting a rise out of a person she considered family to her.

Ichigo muttered something about crazy snake ladies under his breath, but fortunatly Anko was too busy teasing Naruto about his new found popularity with the opposite sex. "Good god...She's like the big sister from hell!" He whispered to Hitomi, who chuckled.

"Relax. She wouldn't do that with just anybody. This just means that she likes you. I guess she's like me in the fact that we have a natural "Uzumaki" affinity." She giggled.

Anko turned her attention back to Ichigo before she left, "Oh yeah, feel free to bring your 'date', Icchan." She quipped coyly as she left while laughing her head off.

"I wish she wouldn't call me that." Ichigo sighed in defeat.

"Aw, come on. It's cute, Icchan." She giggled playfully. "And yes. I'll be your date tonight."

"Thanks, Ms. Haru-," He began to say before he was cut off by a playful konk to his head. "It's just Hitomi to you. You don't have to be so formal with me, Ichigo-kun. We're colleages now, fellow Jounin of Konoha. Besides, you're a nice guy, willing to pick a middle-aged woman for your date..." She would have gone further, but she was stopped by Ichigo.

"Stop right there. You're not old. Hell, you're not even 30 yet! When we did the dinner/dance thing, I thought that you were Sakura's older sister." He told her, but noted the disbelieving look on her face. "Look, a man in ancient times once said this, _'The heart that loves is always young.'_ You're still young to me."

She was taken aback by his words, but a gentle smile played on her lips as she put her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you..." She breathed out.

"For what?"

"For helping me feel like a woman again."

He gave her a grin that could power a small city for a week. "You're very welcome, Hitomi-chan."

"Orders up!!" Teuchi belted out, unknowingly snapping them out of their combined dazes. The group all took to their ramen and the tabs were paid. Ichigo scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "So, uh...I guess I'll pick you up at 1830, 'kay?"

The elder Haruno female tiptoed to peck him on the cheek. "Okay, Ichigo-kun. See you then." And she left.

Naruto wasn't quite ready to go home just yet, though. "Ne, Sakura-chan, you wanna go train for a bit?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then replied, "Sure, it's still a bit early and it's a nice day."

Ino looked and listened on in interest. "Say...Do you guys mind if I tag along? I'd really like to see this." She asked, her interest piqued.

"Sure, why not?" Naruto replied. He turned to his brother, "Hey aniki, you wanna join us?"

Ichigo yawned and shook his head. "I don't think so, kiddo. I'm kinda bushed right now, so I'm gonna head home and take a nap before tonight."

Naruto nodded at his logic. He agreed that he must be exhausted, especially after what they all saw him do during the exam.

With that, he let his brother go home and get some well deserved rest while he, Ino, and Sakura all went to TG# 7 to train a bit.

_A/N : And cut! Thus ends another chapter! It was hard breaking poor Hina-chan's heart like that, but for the stories sake, it had to be done. I really do like the shy girl and she will have her moments later on. The other sensei's and Jounin have invited the tall blonde bomber for a night of drunken fun and games for making Jounin (Did you expect anything less?) Ichigo revealed some of his true power during the exam and that alone nearly sealed the deal. His experience in espionage and tactical planning combined with natural cunning helped him edge out Kakashi and his nanites made him resist Kurenai's Genjutsu to an extent but not completely. I also hope you liked the Ichigo and Hinata moment because that spark of trust between the two of them will play a major role later on._


	9. Of Drunken Pinks and Blondes

Well, next chapter is here! I've had some people ask if I'll have any Naru/Saku/Ino. I don't know as of yet, but anything is possible. The Jounin exam is over, he's a Jounin now, and he's got a date tonight!

_**HERE WE GOOOOOO!!!**_

_**TRAINING GROUND # 7 1330 HRS**_

Ino watched in amazement as Naruto and Sakura as they sparred_. 'They've been going at it for half an hour already, with weights to boot! I'd better buckle down on my training more, cause Forehead can clean my clock in a heartbeat, now!" _The blonde kunoichi mused, then turned her attention to her fellow blonde. _'Naruto is something else, too. Man, I should have done the Shintenshin on him sooner, and he could have been mine...Oh well, can't get 'em all.'_

Ino snapped out of her thoughts when Sakura caught an over-extended punch by the wrist, and with a flick of her own wrist, sent Naruto hurtling into a nearby tree where he landed upside down in a heap. The pink-haired girl dashed over to see if her spiky blonde was alright, but her fears were put to rest as he removed himself from his crumpled position and flopped back first onto the grass with a grunt.

Seeing that he was okay, she laid down beside him in the same spread eagle manner tiredly and took his hand in hers. "Gotcha, Naruto-kun." She told him wryly.

"I think so, too, Sakura-hime." He replied in an exhausted, but happy tone.

Ino burst out of her amazement. "Who the hell taught you two to fight like that?! That was amazing!!" She exclaimed.

Sakura spoke up while she sat up. "Ichigo-san taught us, but we're both still trying to mix them with the academy style of taijutsu and perfect them. Gai-sensei helps us by tweaking our workouts to better suit our needs." She answered honestly.

"You see, Aniki studied our movements and then he fitted us with styles that matched our personalites and the way we moved naturally. He then spent two weeks teaching us the basics of the styles, then he turned us loose to experiment and master the styles on own own. He taught me styles called Karate and Muay Tai to fit how I move."

"Ichigo-san taught me two grappleing styles, one that relies on re-directed force and joint locks called Aikido, and the other is mainly throws and is built on the same principles as the former, called Judo. You saw an example of it when I caught Naruto-kun's punch and threw him. The final one was called Tae Kwon Do, so I could make use of my flexibility and lower body strength."

Ino's head was spinning with all of this new information. But then she got an idea into her head. "Hey...you think he could help me with my Taijutsu? It's really kinda pathetic..." Ino started to tell them but a voice called to them from nowhere.

"Well, then...I'll just have to fix that now, won't I?" The voice said playfully as a blur sped into the clearing to reveal Ichigo, grinning like a cheshire cat. Ino locked up, but bolstered herself to ask him.

"Hey, I thought you were gonna be sleeping!" Naruto called out to his brother.

Ichigo shrugged. "I couldn't sleep right away, so I thought I'd come and watch."

"S-say, Ichigo-sensei...would you mind...helping me with my Taijutsu?" She asked him while blushing a bit.

He thought about it for a moment and then replied. "Perform a series of punches and kicks for me."

Ino blinked, but complied. Ichigo studied her movements. _'Hmm...She's very flexible...And her movements are very fluid and graceful, like she's dancing...Ah! I got it! Capoeira!!'_

Ichigo motioned for Ino to halt and to come over to him. "Ino..." He started while putting a hand on her shoulder, "I've got the perfect style for you, so stay here and I'll demonstrate. Trust me when I say that you're gonna love what I have in mind!" He told her.

He pulled out his music player and a pair of small speakers and played some music with a strange rythmn, but they oddly found themselves swaying to the beat. Ichigo started off by moving and bobbing with the beat for timing like he was dancing, then he got started. He started off with a pair of sweeping roundhouse kicks in rapid succession, followed by a flare that he pushed into a spinning handstand with his legs out, like he was kicking. He spun out back to his starting position and performed a series of sweeping kicks and punches, followed by a headbutt to finish out.

Ino watched the demo in awe and fascination. "Wow...That was incredible!" She exclaimed. Ichigo walked over to her. "That, my dear Ino, was the art of Capoeira. You see, you sway and move to your own rythmn and beat, getting your timing and frustrate your opponents by making them think that you aren't taking them seriously and dancing with them instead. This style was created by slaves in captivity as a means of training right under the noses of their captors. It requires a level of flexibility and coordination that you inheirently possess, as well as a good sense of rythmn and timing. I just used the music to give you the basic idea of the style."

"That was pretty interesting...And I even liked the music. It had a real lively beat and I really felt that I could dance to it. You think that you could give me that song?" Ino asked.

"Sure thing. Remember, that with this style, you can get as creative as you want, use your imagination with it and you'll go far. But remember that you have to actually FEEL the rythmn."

"Hey, um...play the music again. I wanna try it!" Ino asked him excitedly.

Ichigo chuckled at her enthusiasm. He complied and hit play again. She started to sway with the music in a similar fashion to what was demonstrated, and began her run. She stood on her hands and spun like a whirling dervish of kicks, winding down into a flare, which she did a kip-up to stand from. She ended her run with a flipping, twisting heel drop that she ended in a frontal spilts. The blonde girl marveled at how natural the style felt and grinned like a maniac at how she would show her team when they trained next.

Naruto noticed this and decided to sweeten the deal. "Hey, Ino-chan. If you can't find anybody to spar against, use this! _**KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!!"**_ He bellowed, creating 1 shadow clone. Sakura noted this and followed suit.

Naruto had taught her the Shadow Clone jutsu a couple of weeks ago. While she still had reserves that were still a bit small, they were much bigger that she came out of the Academy with, and she is currrently able to make up to 3 clones without wearing out. She also figured out the secret behind them quickly on her own and started to use them secretly to complete her errands and chores in record time so that she could spend more time with Naruto. She also used them to learn more about the basic movements of her styles and to study up on more jutsu that Kakashi had slipped her and Naruto. They were mainly E and D-Rank jutsu with a couple of C-rank elemental jutsu. Kakashi also took the opportunity to test their elemental affinities. Naruto had Wind as his primary with a secondary for Water. Sakura had tested for Water as her primary and Earth as her secondary.

Ino gave it a shot and in two hours, "_**KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!!"**_ Ino called out with one solid clone popping up beside her. "Hey! It worked!" She cackled with barely restrained glee as she inspected her clone, as the clone did the same.

The clone then looked around and spotted Naruto's. "Hey there, cutie..." She purred as she got close to him. "Not taken I hope." This action nearly got her forcefully dispelled via a haymaker from hell from Sakura's.

The Ino-clone then saw Ichigo and sped over like a streak of blonde lightning before Sakura could react and latched herself to Ichigo's arm. "Now YOU, I like. Care to slip off and, get aquainted?" She cooed to the now exasperated Ichigo.

"Can't really help herself, can she?" The real Ino chuckled sheepishly as she dispelled the troublemaking clone herself. "Guess I've gotta work on getting them to behave themselves."

"Also, there's one extra benifit of using the Kage Bunshin for training. Whatever information that your clone learns, you learn when it dispells!" Naruto added. " But you need to work on your chakra capacity, or you'll wear down real quick." He warned her.

"Really?! How awesome is that?!" She shouted. In her mind, she worked feverishly to find any and all ways to apply this new jutsu into her everyday life, such as taking her place when she has to mind her parents store, doing her chores, helping her shop, etc.

The Naruto and Sakura clones nodded to each other, joined hands, and dispelled. Ino waved and skipped off merrily, chomping at the bit to show off this new ability. Ichigo just went back to the apartment to take a nap before his '_initiation'_ , and Naruto and Sakura had gone off for a walk on their own before going home.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 1630 HRS**_

Naruto had just dropped off Sakura, who was telling her mom about her training.

"So, Ino-chan wants to get in on this, does she?" Hitomi asked.

"Yep. She and I want kunoichi to be taken more seriously. Naruto-kun, Ichigo-san, and Gai and Kakashi-sensei's all think that this is a good idea. Ichigo-san and Naruto-kun taught us the Kage Bunshin to help us train!"

"That jutsu can be very dangerous if you aren't careful. "

"Do you know it, mom?"

"Yes, actually. Ichigo-kun taught it to me the last time we trained together." She told her daughter with a wistful look.

That look struck Sakura as sort of odd. "Hey mom, have you told him yet? You know, that you like him?"

Hitomi's head and shoulders slumped. "No. No I haven't."

"But why not?! He's a good guy! I can tell he likes you, too."

"I...I don't know. I'm still not completely over what happened before you were born, with the...person...that should have been your father."

The venow in her voice when she mentioned that incident wasn't lost on Sakura. She knew about her biological father, but didn't know who he was. All she knew was that he died when the Kyuubi attacked the village and that he abandoned them. But, Sakura knew in her heart that Ichigo and Naruto were different. They both knew that the Uzumaki's were leagues above and beyond the rest when it came to loyalty and devotion.

"I like him, I really do...Mom, I've already given you my approval, so don't hesitate! He likes you, too."

Hitomi first looked flabberghasted, then relieved. Nowadays she could count on her daughter to help her decide if she needed it. "Thanks. I needed the reassureance." She sighed. She looked at the clock on their wall and gasped. "Oh my! I need to hurry!" With that, she got herself ready in record time, because in 15 minutes, Ichigo would be there to pick her up to go to the party at the bar. A few minutes later, Hitomi clambered downstairs in a clean uniform (same style as her daughters, but with her Jounin vest over it.)

"So, how do I look?"

Sakura looked her mother over for a moment, and nodded. "You look fine, mom."

No sooner than she said that, a knock came from the door. Upon opening it, a shy and blushing Ichigo stood there with a small white Carnation in his hand. "H-hey there..." He stuttered slightly before handing her the flower. "For you..."

Hitomi simply blushed, smiled warmly, and accepted the gift. "Thank you, Ichigo-kun. That was very sweet of you." She told him as she kissed him on the cheek and set the flower in her hair.

She took his hand in her's next. "Shall we get going, Ichigo-kun?" The pink-haired woman asked sweetly. All the tall blonde could do was nod dumbly and comply.

Sakura came bounding up to him next. "Hey, Ichigo-san! Is Naruto-kun at home right now?" The young pinkette asked him eagerly.

"Yep. He said that he was working on a training plan for Ino to use."

"Hey mom, can I go visit Naruto?"

"Yes dear. But make sure you finish your chores before hand, okay?"

"Gotcha, mom!" Sakura chirped as her mother and Ichigo left. As soon as she was sure that they were gone, "_**KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!!"**_ Two clones popped in next to her. "Alright, you heard her! Let's go!" She yelled as she and her clones tackled the chores in record time. As soon as they were done, Sakura bolted out the door and beat feet over to the Uzumaki Apartment.

_**SHINOBI BAR "TANTO" 1850 HRS.**_

As they walked up to the shinobi only bar, Ichigo got a little nervous. "Uh, Hitomi?"

"Yeah? What's up? Something wrong?" She asked in concern.

"Uh, I've...Uh...Never drank before..." He admitted, completely embarrassed and red-faced.

Hitomi's eyes had mischeivious glint to them suddenly. "Oh really, now?" She giggled. "Well then, I'll just have to take GOOD care of you tonight, now won't I?" She finished in a slightly seductive tone while tugging him into the bar by his vest.

Unfortunately, the wrong people heard this as well, i.e. Anko, Kakashi, Kurenai, Rin, etc.

"WHAT?! HEY! WE'VE GOT A FIRST TIME DRINKER OVER HERE!!" Anko whooped as the rest of the Jounin who attended rushed in to buy the young blonde his first drink. Anko beat them all to the punch and slammed a sake bottle in his face. Even the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Tsume Inuzuka showed up for the party and added their congradulations to the young man.

After a few dozen bottles and 3 hours, Ichigo finally got hammered. However, he was still sober enough to take in what kinds of drunks his new colleauges were. Asuma, Kakashi, and Anko were all playful drunks. Gai had next to no tolerance and got weepy real fast. Kurenai was hitting the bottles like a pro and actually drank Asuma under the table, but she immeadiately crashed out afterwards. Rin was a bit of a lightweight herself and fell asleep at the table she and Kakashi sat at. Ebisu was a nagging drunk, and began to preach about how to properly conduct themselves until Anko wrapped him up in snakes to keep him quiet. Hitomi was a real flirty one and hit on him every chance she got. Whenever any kunoichi or woman other than Kurenai, Rin, or Anko got close to him, she sent them a killing intent loaded death glare that screamed, "MINE!!!!"

He and Anko got themselves into a staring contest, which ended in disturbing, maniacal laughter from both of them. "I like ya, kid! Yer awright by me!" Anko slurred out as she slapped him on his back. A buzzed Ichigo replied, "I like ya, too, Nee-chan!"

"Nee-chan?! HAHA! I like that!" She cackled again as she went for another back slap, but she missed and ended up doing a faceplant on the floor. She picked herself back up to her stool and found a plate of dango there for her. As she picked the skewer up to eat it, it exploded in a puff of smoke to reveal an Ichigo Kage Bunshin that was under a henge.

She screamed, fell backwards off of her stool again, but let of a gut-busting laugh that damn near the whole bar got in on. After a few minutes, she finally calmed down. "That's why I like you and Naru-chan so much!" She admitted, but her expression went downcast. "My two playful little brothers...My two little Uzumakis." She told him as she began to sob. "I wish...I could have been there more...I love that little gaki so damn much..."

Almost as if on cue, Gai began to wail on about "youth" and "flames" and all the other incoherant things he began to spout out, before getting shut up with more sake by the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. An almost totally sober Ichigo pulled in his big sister for a brotherly hug and let her cry it out. It took a few moments for the Snake Kunoichi to sort herself out, but she did. "You're his big brother now. So that makes you my little brother, too. My family..." She told him, pride evident in her eyes.

He was take aback by this revelation, but smiled widely, nonetheless. "My family just keeps getting bigger. I always wanted a family, and now I've got one, the old man helped make mine and Naruto's dream a reality." He replied to his "big sis". He then turned his attention to the rest to the bar's occupants. "I can't thank you enough for this. I vow on my nindo that I will fight to protect my new home and everyone that is precious to me, to the death if need be. If anyone attacks, they'll have to get past me first, and they'll do so over my dead body." He finished, letting out a flare of chakra that could also be seen with the naked eye and his eyes seemed to glow for a brief moment.

The speech left them all speechless, until Anko raised her sake bottle. "Here, here!"

The whole bar responded as one. "CHEERS!", as he got handshakes, hugs, shoulder and back slaps from all of his new comrades, welcoming him into shinobihood.

The party finally wound down around 0100 in the morning and the last guests had just clambered out into the moonlit streets. It was Ichigo and he was carrying a near unconscious Hitomi on his back as he carried her home. The pink-haired woman mumbled many strange and bizaare things, but one stood out. "Ichigo...kun...I love...you." as she tightened her grip around his neck.

This made him smile, _'She does like me...'_ He mused as he quickened his pace to her house.

_**UZUMAKI APARTMENT 1930 HRS**_

Sakura had used her Kage Bunshin's to help her get her chores done in record time and she then bolted over to Naruto's place. She walked up to the door and knocked. "Naruto-kun? You home?"

"I'm here, Sakura-chan! Come on in!" He called back through the door. She walked in to see Naruto sitting at a table in the small apartment's common area. She took in the sparse decorum of the tiny domicle. _'This is the first time that I've ever been inside his home. To think, he's been living here for eight years on his own. If my eyes hadn't been opened, he would still be all alone...I know I wouldn't last very long even as I am now and Naruto's lived this way since he was 4.' _She thought until she snapped herself out of her musings. "Hey, Naruto-kun? What made you keep chasing after me all these years? Not that I'm complaining." She added quickly.

Naruto stopped writing for a moment and thought hard. "Well, I guess I still had a sliver of faith that you would remember someday. I asked aniki once if the crush I had on you was like the one you had on Sasuke and he asked me if I needed you. I didn't really understand at first but he told me what he read in a book once : _Immature love says, I love because I need you. Mature love says, I need you because I love you."_

"Simply put, Immature love was a one-sided crush, liking someone for what you see on the outside or for what you think they represent. He told me that since we liked each other at one point, it was real love that I had. The possibility that you would remember gave me the courage and strength to keep trying to revive what we had." He told her honestly.

Naruto stopped to catch his breath and continued on. "The days we spent together recently have been the best days of my life." He admitted to her, tears beginning to fall. "Our first date so wonderful. When we danced, I felt that it was the closest to heaven I had ever been. You gave me, a "demon", love." He finished.

Sakura sat in a silent daze. _'So...what I had for Sasuke was just as I thought, a silly crush. But what I have for Naruto is real. I just wish I had figured this out sooner...You have to actually know a person before you like them, not skip ahead to the affection. Naruto-kun liked me for who I was when we met. We saw each others real selves, but I was too desperate to be accepted. I abandoned him, treated him like trash and broke his already fragile heart. But...after all this time, he forgave me and even still loves me. As far as I'm concerned, we have over 5 years to catch up on.'_

"Naruto-kun, you were the first boy to like me, to see past my forehead. You called me beautiful and made me feel very special. That is something that I should have held close to my heart." Sakura admitted to him. "You are not a demon or a monster. Nothing like that would have ever come to my defense, or freely displayed the feelings you have for me. I feel so free around you...able to be myself, because you love me for who I really am." She finished, grabbing one of Naruto's hands and put it to her cheek.

Slowly, their foreheads rested against one another. "I love you, Naruto-kun."

"I love you even more, Sakura-hime. More than I could even say or show in a lifetime, but I'll try."

That reply was rewarded with Sakura eagerly pressing her lips to his. He was surprized at first, returned the kiss. They stayed like that for at least two minutes before the need for air reared it ugly head. Naruto stared into her eyes. "You wanna go for a walk?" Naruto asked his now official girlfriend.

"Yeah, that sounds nice." The young rosette replied.

"Good. I know the perfect place." Naruto told her, smiling brightly. He lead her out the apartment door and into the evening air.

_**HOKAGE MONUMENT, 4TH'S HEAD 2030 HRS**_

"Oh, wow! The view from up here is so beautiful!" Sakura exclaimed.

Naruto smiled. "Yeah. I come up here a lot, when I want to be alone, to think, escape, or just forget about something that happened to me." He told her, but then looked at her. "But now, I was thinking that...maybe this could be our special place? You know, just for us?" He added bashfully, taking a seat on the edge.

Sakura strode up to the edge and took a seat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I love that idea, Naruto-kun." She thn pulled him backward to the ground, gently. "Thank you." She whispered in his ear before giving him a gentle kiss on his whiskered cheek.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, until Naruto suggested that they get home. It was getting late. "Let's stay like this, just a little longer." She pleaded, nuzzling into the crook of his neck as he tightened his grip around her waist gently. Soon, the young shinobi and kunoichi drifted of to sleep in each others arms on that warm early summer night.

Near by, a lone female ANBU watched over the pair from the trees. Her cat mask hid her face, but she watched the pair with a look of wistfullness. "Oh, Hayate...This reminds me of us when we younger... I'd give anything to make it last..." She murmured softly as she gazed upon the scene of pure and innocent love.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 0115 HRS**_

Ichigo had made it back to the Haruno house as quickly as he could without waking the sleeping woman in his arms. To his surprize, the door was unlocked. He slipped inside and quickly whisked her upstairs to her room, so he could put her to bed. He carefully slipped off her Jounin vest and sandals to make her more comfortable.

Before he could pull away, she awoke slightly and pulled him in close to her. "No...don't go. Please...stay with me, Ichigo-kun?" She pleaded with him.

"A-Are you sure?"

Her response to that was to pull him in for a very deep and long kiss. "Just one night. Make me feel like a woman again...please..." She called to him longingly.

"H-Hitomi-chan..." He replied as he kissed her back. The two started to really get into it, as clothes started to come off and the intimacy level jumped higher and higher. Before long, the only sounds heard out of the room were a creaking bed, moans, and two people calling out each others names passionately.

At around 0630 in the morning, Ichigo rolled over in bed only to discover that he wasn't in his bed, or even the apartment he and Naruto shared. He rolled right on top of Hitomi Haruno.

_'Uh oh...'_ He thought to himself. _'What the hell did I do last night?!'_ He thought in a slight panic as Hitomi began to wake up.

She looked right at him but to his surprize, she smiled widely. "Mmmnn...Good morning, Ichigo-kun." She purred as she moved around behind him and drew him in. She also noticed his discomfort. "What's wrong, Ichigo-kun?"

"I, uh, um, never did that before." He admitted sheepishly.

Hitomi's eyes went wide. "W-what?"

"Yeah...This was my first time."

He felt as if he did something horrible to her. He felt that he took advantage of her while she was drunk, but she felt differently about it.

"There's no need to feel bad about it, Ichigo-kun." She soothed. "I wanted to do this, with you. Besides, you were incredible for this being your first time. "

His guilt began to melt away with her words. "Then...I'm glad, my first time was with someone I trust."

The pink-haired woman smiled brightly as she gave him a kiss on his cheek and made her way to the shower to clean up a bit, swaying her hips at him on purpose. "By the way..." She added, turning around slightly. "Next time, use some Kage Bunshin on me and I'll return the favor."

Hitomi gave a small giggle when she saw his whole body go cherry red at the very idea of using that jutsu during intercourse. After a moment, Ichigo felt some of his playfulness come back to him. "Hey, I like the view. Cute butt, Tomi-chan."

She turned around and gauged him playfully. "Nice size, big boy." She chuckled as she closed the bathroom door slightly.

Ichigo himself chuckled to himself as he pulled on his pants and his tank top, making his way down stairs to the kitchen to make some breakfast.

Hitomi was in the bath, cleaning up and relaxing a bit while thinking about what happened last night. _'Wow...I feel so sore, but dammit, I needed that! I guess that can be expected since the last time I had sex was the time I got pregnant with Sakura, close to thirteen years ago. But, that felt great, and he was pretty big, and damn near unstoppable! But I need to give him time to think before we do this again. I don't want to scare him away.'_

Ichigo was downstairs in the kitchen whipping up a light breakfast while comtemplating what happened last night. _'I feel...better, and not so lonely anymore. I never thought that I'd find romance anywhere, but now, this gives me hope for the future. I really do find myself falling for her. We were both so lonely, wanting companionship. I...I think I can do this, see this through to the end!" _He thought with confidence. "Yeah! I tell her how I feel!" He proclaimed while thrusting a spatula wielding fist in the air triumphantly.

"Really? And how is that, Ichigo-kun?" Hitomi called out from the kitchen doorway. She was leaning against the doorframe, wearing bike shorts and a tank top, and a smirk on her face.

Ichigo went white as a sheet and froze when he heard her voice. "Hi-Hitomi, I...I can explain..." He stammered out, but she cut him off with a deep kiss that took him a moment to even register before he returned it.

It lasted for at least two minutes before they needed to breathe again and broke apart, gasping for breath. "I love you, Ichigo Uzumaki." She whispered.

The tall blonde stood stunned for a brief second before he answered her. "I love you, Hitomi Haruno."

The moment between them seems to last forever until Hitomi began to sniff the air. "Hey Ichigo-kun. Do you smell something burning?" She asked.

He looked puzzled. "Burning?" He wondered until realization hit him. "AHH!! The omlettes!!" He cried as he dashed over to the stove like greased lightning, making Hitomi giggle at the sight. "Awright! Saved it! Food's on!" He announced with a bright grin.

"Sakura! Breakfast!" She called out. She found that since her daughter had been working her body to the limit, she also became a real chow hound. Lately, she was downstairs within a moment at the mention of food, but this morning she wasn't coming down so she went up to check on her.

The pnik-haired mother came bolting back downstair. "Sakura's not here!!" She paniced.

Ichigo was alarmed by this as well, but offered a solution. "She might with Naruto at our place." She suggested as he slipped on his Jounin vest and sandals, Hitomi doing the same as they left to look for the girl.

_**UZUMAKI APARTMENT 0730 HRS, MAY 24th**_

Ichigo raced up the stairs of the complex, unlocked the door, and nearly threw the door open. "Hey!! You home, kiddo?! Sakura?!" He yelled, but got no response. "Damn...They're not here, either." He added worriedly.

"I don't get it. Where could they have gone?" Hitomi asked.

Ichigo was thinking of all the places they could have gone, but one jumped out at him : Hokage Mountain.

"Hitomi, I think I know where they are..."

"Where?"

He pointed to the north, to the monument. "Hokage Mountain, the Yondaime's head, specifically."

"Really?! Let's go!" She almost yelled out as they both performed a shunshin over to the monument.

_**HOKAGE MOUNTAIN - 4th's HEAD 0743 HRS**_

Ichigo and Hitomi appeared in a flash atop of Hokage mountain in their search for the two young Genin. "Now that we're here, let's find our little lost lambs." He said as he started searching. They only had to look around for a brief moment before he found them and signaled Hitomi. "Hey, Tomi-chan! I found 'em! Over here!" He called out.

"Oh, thank God! Are they alright?!" She asked while running over to them, but was greeted by the one of the cutest things she'd ever seen. Naruto and Sakura were sleeping soundly, using his jacket as a pillow and still locked in each others embrace. Hitomi smiled widely, as did Ichigo. They just couldn't bring themselves to get mad about it as they slipped their arms around each other, just watching the innocent scene a little longer.

The two of them began to stir and awaken after a moment passed. "Mmmn, good morning, Naruto-kun." Sakura greeted sleepily.

"Good morning, Sakura-hime." He replied. The two of them sat up, their hands still intertwined.

Ichigo let out a silent chuckle and announced that they were there. "Mornin', you two love birds!" He called out loudly.

They turned their heads toward them so quickly, they almost got whiplash. Ichigo had a massive grin on his face and Sakura's mom wore an amused smirk and her arms were akimbo across her torso.

"MOM/ANIKI?!?!" They blurted out at the exact same time before rushing to explain what happened.

"Mom, I can explain..." The younger Haruno tried to explain, but was cut off by a simple gesture.

"It's okay, dear! Don't worry!" She assured her daughter while trying to hold back her laughter.

"Aniki, this isn't as bad as it looks, I swear!" Naruto told his big brother, but he waved it off casually.

"Hey, hey! Relax, kiddo! I'd know if you two DID do something. Besides, I trust you." He told the fretting boy.

"Whew! Thanks, aniki!" Said a relieved Naruto.

Out of nowhere, an ANBU appeared on the scene, spooking the kids a bit. "Ichigo Uzumaki. Hitomi Haruno. Hokage-sama requests your presence in his office." He stated in a crisp, professional tone.

He and Hitomi looked at each other then back at the ANBU operative. "Hai. We'll be there shortly." He replied. The ANBU nodded, then performed another shunshin to make his exit.

Hitomi took in a deep breath and let it go. "Okay! Let's head back to my place, boys! After all, you did go through all the trouble of making that lovely breakfast, Ichigo-kun." Hitomi said slyly with a wink at the tall blonde.

Naruto and Sakura looked at each other with puzzled expressions. _'Breakfast?'_ They mouthed to each other, but took in how they were dressed.

Sakura looked at her mom's wardrobe for a moment. An oversized blue shinobi top, black bike shorts, and her sandals. She then turned her eyes to Ichigo. He had on his vest with a tank top underneath, his shinobi pants, and his hair wasn't even pulled back into his usual ponytail, looking slightly unkempt. _"Did they..."_ She began to think until her mother placed a hand on her shoulder with Ichigo doing the same with Naruto, made a half ram seal and shunshin'd back to her house.

_**HOKAGE'S OFFICE 0815 HRS.**_

After eating a quick breakfast and getting completely dressed, Hitomi and Ichigo bolted out the door, bound for Hokage Tower.

Upon entering the office, they announced themselves properly. "Jounins Haruno and Uzumaki reporting as ordered, Hokage-sama." Hitomi stated.

"Ah, very good." He greeted the pair, grabbing a file folder and scroll from his desk, beckoning them closer. "Now then, I know it's a little sudden, but I have a mission for you, Ichigo-kun. It's an A-rank mission that requires the disposal of a traitor." He informed them while taking a picture out of the folder.

"That is Aoi Rokusho. He was once a Konoha Chuunin, but after failing to make Jounin, he stole some scrolls from our classified library and the Niidaime's Raijin Sword, a Konoha National Treasure. He was last seen in Grass country and may have a small group on low level nins with him. Hitomi will be your back up, as well as an observer. Do you accept this mission?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama! I won't let you down!" Ichigo belted out in a Naruto-esqe fashion.

Sarutobi smiled warmly. "I have faith in you. You leave in two hours, so go and make your preperations." He ordered.

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" The two Jounin chorused and saluted. Spinning on their heels, they left the office and the tower to grab their gear. "I'm gonna stop by a weapons shop on the way to the gate, so I'll meet you there." He told her as he headed out.

_'I wonder what he wanted to get?'_ She wondered.

_**KONOHA MAIN GATE 1028 HRS**_

Hitomi stood there tapping her foot, slightly agitated. "Where is he?" She muttered.

She got her answer as he came barreling up to the gate at a full out run. "Sorry about that, Tomi-chan! I needed to pick up these." He told her while showing the twin wakazashis he now had mounted across his lower back.

"They're just like what I used to use and I also got something for you." He mentioned to her as he handed her the other parcel.

Hitomi opened it up to reveal a handsome black ninjato. She further marveled at the blade as she drew it to reveal that the blade itself was also jet black with a dull sheen as not to reflect light and give her away.

"You told me once that you knew how to use one, so I figured I'd get you one." He reasoned with her.

Hitomi mounted the blade across her back and kissed him on the cheek once again. "Thanks. We should get going now. We don't know how long he'll linger in Grass Country and we might lose that traitor's trail." She told him as the pair got themselves moving towards Grass Country.

_A/N: Here we find ourselves at the end of another chapter. Please forgive me, I suck something fierce at writing lemons, but I hope that you liked the Naru/Saku fluff. Also, Karl Skywalker asked about Hitomi's fighting style. Since she was taught Tae Kwon Do and she had such natural flexibility, I modeled her taijutsu style after that of Kisara Nanjo from HSD Kenichi and her kenjutsu style from Shigure. Sakura's I based off of Akisame from the same source, Naruto's from partially from Apachai and Sakaki, and Ino's is a mixture of Siegfried and Miu along with the Capoeira. Hinata will be taught by Ichigo, as well so her taijutsu will be getting a major overhaul. I suggest going to and checking it out if you haven't seen it yet. I recommend it._


	10. Shattered Innocence

_Chapter 10 is now up and running. I must warn readers that there is a scene in this chapter that may offend you, and I must stress that offending you is not my intention. If you do get offended, then I offer my most sincere apologies. Also, if you are a Sasuke fan, stop reading NOW. I will not hear of anyone pissing and moaning that their precious "Sas-UKE-kun" is being prortrayed as a bad guy. Guess what? He is! Deal with it!_

_**KONOHA STREETS, ENROUTE TO TRAINING GROUND # 23 1000 HRS**_

Naruto and Sakura were on their way to meet up with their team. Thankfully, Gai was kind of hungover from the celebration the night before and wanted to start a little later than usual as opposed to his early bird tendencies.

Sakura was dying to ask Naruto how he felt on the whole issue of her mother being in love with his elder brother. She was fine with it and had asked him about it before, but she wanted to be sure first.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"You know how I told you that my mom is in love with your brother?"

"Yeah, I remember. What about it?" Naruto asked, not knowing where she was going with this.

"I just wanted to know how you felt about it. I mean, you don't think it's weird or anything, right?"

Naruto looked at her strangely, but schooled himself back to normal. "Aniki is an adult. He can date whoever he wants, but I'm glad that it's your mom." He told her honestly.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah! I mean, your mom is really nice, she's really pretty, and he likes her, too. He just doesn't know how to say it yet. She even knew about my...problem...and she still tried to help me! This is a match made in heaven!" The blonde fox-boy chirped merrily.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief that she didn't even know that she was holding in. "Yeah, she's still really young compared to our classmate's parents and she's been pretty lonely, even if she tries to hide it."

"It's settled, Sakura-hime! We should support them and try to push them into admitting their feelings for each other!" He proclaimed loudly.

Sakura giggled at his enthusiasim. _'This is the Naruto I fell in love with back when we were younger.'_ She thought as she took his arm. Together, they made their way to their team's training grounds.

_**TRAINING GROUND # 23 1015 HRS**_

Lee was already waiting at the grounds when his other two teammates showed up.

"Good morning, Lee!"

"Mornin' Lee!"

Lee perked up at their greeting and responded. "Yosh!! Naruto-kun, Sakura-san! You both look so youthful this morning!" The bowl cut genin exclaimed excitedly.

The pair shared a chuckle at his enthusiasim. They had gotten to know Lee much better in the past month and they knew of his eccentricities but it didn't really bother them all that much. It was just the way he was, but over prolonged contact with the pair, his off duty wardrobe changed and he actually looked human and he began to grow out his hair again. He originally had a long pigtail, but he wanted something a little more functional, so he was settling on a small skinny rat tail like Ichigo's due to Ino's influence. She thought that it would look good on him, too.

Sakura looked over to Naruto. "Hey, you bring your weights?" She asked, pulling hers out of her bag and putting them on.

He responded with a grin and pulled up his pant legs, revealing that he was wearing them the whole time. "You know it, Hime."

She loved the name he gave her and it made other girls quite envious of how he nearly worshipped her, treating her like gold. She was ripped out of her musings when shout boomed throughout the clearing.

"A YOUTHFUL GOOD MORNING TO YOU, MY YOUNG GENIN!" Gai shouted in his usual manner that could render one deaf. At least one couldn't claim they can't hear him. He turned his attention to Sakura, who had just finished activating her weights and was doing some stretches.

"AH! FOR SUCH A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG KUNOICHI TO HAVE EQUALLY BEAUTIFUL FIRES OF YOUTH IS SUCH A TREAT TO WITNESS!!" He bellowed in a booming voice.

Although a little wierded out by the delivery of the compliment, she still blushed slightly and grinned. Naruto saw it and it put a goofy grin on his face. _'She looks so cute when she does that...'_

The spandex clad Jounin turned his attention to his whole team. "Now my beautiful, youthful students, we train!!"

"HAI, GAI-SENSEI!" All three of them chorused in unison as pthey went through a series of stretches and calisthenic exercises. Afterwards, they paired up to carry out Taijutsu practice, Sakura with Naruto and Lee with Gai.

During the month they had been on Gai's team, they had been perfecting the Martial Arts styles that Ichigo had taught to them while adpating it with the basic Academy style, yielding some interesting results. What they ended up with were very effecitive hybrid styles that suited them perfectly.

Gai stopped what he was doing in order to look in on how they were doing as was floored by the grace his other two students held. Naruto was both wild and controlled at the same time, bobbing and weaving while snapping out with lightning quick attacks, while Sakura danced in and out of Naruto's attacks with a very calm and graceful form that was actually beautiful to watch.

The two backed off and gazed upon one aonther with a smile. "Ready to take them off, now?" Naruto asked his partner.

"I'm ready. Let's do this, Naruto-kun!" Sakura replied stoutly as they both his the release for their weights. The instant they hit the ground, the two combatants were off like bolts of lightning, blazing through the battlefield with their increased speed.

Gai watched them with pride. Even if their accomplishments weren't his doing, he still felt proud of their diligence and hard work. _'Ichigo-san has taught them very well to have improved so much in such a short amount of time. Sakura's speed, power, skill and endurance have increased exponentially since coming on my team. I'd have to place her among the top of the Genin kunoichi if I had to evaluate her. Her physical strength had surpassed Genin levels and is encroaching on Chuunin. Naruto's improvments are almost frighteningly fast and he soaks up instruction like a sponge. The Academy must have been trying to sabotage his training if this is any indicator. His stamina rivals even my own and is still improving. Given more seasoning and experience, making Chuunin will be easy to accomplish for them. Furthermore, they include Lee on everything they do, almost treating him like family. That was something that Tenten was only beginning to do after a full year and Neji never even bothered with. This team has truly grown beyond even my wildest dreams. I am so proud of them and I might just nominate them for the Chuunin exams this time around.' _The bowl cut sensei thought to himself.

After around 30 minutes of hard fighting, the two of them finally stopped. They both went to the shade of a tree and flopped down on their backs, side by side, and linked their fingers together. While resting, Sakura noticed that Naruto's body had changed, becoming very fit and muscular for his age and he had even grown some. She looked at her own figure and was please with what she saw.

_'Well, Ichigo-sensei DID say that I shouldn't diet and Naruto from the way Naruto looks at me I'd say he was right on the money! No more dieting for me! My Naru-kun loves me no matter what I look like!'_

_**"Hell yeah! That foxy blonde of yours is looking mighty tasty..."**_ Inner Sakura commented hungrily.

_"Heel, girl! Remember, that's mine!"_

_**"Aw, come on! We both share the same body! What's mine is yours and all that, right?"**_ I.S said hopefully.

_"I guess you have a point in a wierd way."_ Sakura admitted.

_**"Yeah!! Watch out, Foxy-kun!! Momma wants some lovin'!!"**_

Sakura let out an exasperated sigh at her inner self's raging hormones, but had to admit that she had a damn good point.

Gai chuckled to himself as he watched the way they looked at each other. _'They really draw strength from each other, pushing each other to become the best they can be. I am glad that Hokage-sama opposed the marriage bid by the Uchiha boy. Just looking at their happiness is enough to convince me that he did the right thing. Kakashi, the council has wronged you terribly by robbing you of such focused students.'_ He declared inwardly.

He cupped his hands into a makeshift megaphone and shouted out instructions. "Alright you two lovebirds! Laps around the training grounds with weights! Let's go!" He called out with a chuckle.

The team trained until the sun began to set and decided to call it a day. Team Gai parted ways, and the couple made their way home for the night. Unbeknownst to them, a jealousy filled pair of onyx colored eyes followed them.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 1836 HRS**_

Naruto had walked Sakura home and she offered to cook up some dinner for the two of them, which he gladly accepted. She almost felt like a newly wed as she merrily bounced around the kitchen, making some stir fry that her mother taught her to make. It came away with the Uzumaki seal of approval as he patted his belly in a contented manner.

After he helped her clean up the kitchen and a goodbye kiss on the cheek, Naruto departed for the apartment that he and his brother shared.

Sakura went to relax in the bath for a bit to soothe her aching muscles and rest for a bit. Afterwards, she got dressed in a halter top and some short shorts that showed off her budding figure nicely and lounged in the living room with a book before heading off to bed.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. _'Who could that be at this time of night?'_ She wondered as she opened the door. The one at the door was the last person she wanted to see.

"Sasuke..." She snarled. "What do you want?" She added, her voice dripping with venom.

He stood there with the same same self-important, arrogant smirk that she grew to detest. "I just wanted to talk about us, Sakura-chan. What does that demon dobe have that's so much better than being with someone like me?" He asked in a smug tone while he leered at her.

"Firstly, don't call me that. Only Naruto-kun, Ichigo-san and my mother can call me that. Next, he's kind, considerate of my feelings, and a joy to be around. If you're quite finished, LEAVE." The pinkette told him as she went to slam the door in his face.

To her surprize and fear, he jammed a kunai into the doorframe to brace it open and then kicked it in. He eyed her again. "You really are developing quite nicely." He said hungrily as he advanced on her with the look of a predator in his eyes.

She pulled back into the house and got ready to fight. "Don't touch me, asshole." She growled.

She didn't even see him coming as he felt a fist in her gut, knocking her out cold. The last thing she heard before darkness claimed her was a cruel laugh coming from the Uchiha.

She slowly awoke in pain as she felt her hands bound apart and an explosive tag on her forehead. She tried to make the seal for the Nawanuke no Jutsu, but found that her bindings prevented that from happening. She looked around to see what was going on and she found Sasuke leering at her lecherously as he slinked over to her with a kunai in his hands.

He used the kunai to slice away her clothes, leaving her bare to the world as she struggled to get loose. He then lowered his pants and got behind her one hand on her hips and the other on her neck. "If you scream, I'll kill you." He hissed as he worked himself up to enter her.

Finally ready, her pushed himself up to her entrance. "Now you're all mine. I hope you enjoy carrying my seed." He told her.

Without warning, he slammed himself inside of her, ripping open her hymen and causing blood to trickle down her legs as she fought back a scream. He continued to ravage her body by pumping furiously and smacked her every time she made a sound.

Sakura's body was wracked with untold pain as the Uchiha continued his assualt on her being. She began to call out mentally for someone...Anyone...To come save her from this hell. _'Naruto-kun...mom...Ichigo-sensei...Gai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei...Lee-san...Anybody...SAVE ME!!!!'_

_**SOMEWHERE ON THE WAY TO KUSA NO KUNI AT THE SAME TIME**_

Ichigo and Hitomi were busy tracking their target when they got a chill that ripped through them. Ichigo went wide eyed in concern and looked to Hitomi, whose reaction mirrored his own.

"You felt that too?" He whispered.

"Yeah. I don't know how, but something just happened." She replied, her voice wavering.

"Let's get this mission over with and go home. I've got a bad feeling about this." He told her as they picked up the pace in following their target.

_**BACK IN KONOHA**_

Just before he reached climax, two kunai screamed out of nowhere. One of them snagged the explosive note and the other buried itself in his arm. He pulled out quickly and fumbled with his pants as he faced his attacker, his kunoichi teammate Tenten.

The bun haired girl was getting angrier by the second as she saw what he was doing to Sakura. "You sick fuck!!!" She bellowed, hoping to attract attention.

Sasuke ripped the kunai out of his arm and he focused an insane gaze on her. "You, you bitch!!! I'll enjoy taming you before I kill you!!" He roared back.

"Try it, you asshole!! I'm gonna cut your dick off and shove it up your ass!!!" Tenten snarled as she summoned up her weapons to do just that.

Naruto was on his way back to Sakura's house because he left his apartment keys on her kitchen counter when he heard the sounds of a battle being fought nearby. He raced over to it, his dread growing the closer he drew to her house. Just outside of her house, the street looked like a battle ground, with weapons and scorch marks everywhere.

"W-what the hell is happening here?!" He shouted.

Tenten turned and shouted to him. "Naruto!!! This asshole just raped Sakura!!" She yelled to him.

He went dead silent and he dropped his weights and summoned 20 clones. He had five go inside to check on Sakura and protect her while the rest followed him to help Tenten against Sasuke.

Inside the house, the clones found Sakura and it took all of their restraint to stay focused on the task they were given. They cut her free as she cracked open an eye.

"N-NARUTO!!!!!" She cried as she sobbed into the clone's chest.

The clone smoothed her hair as it tried to comfort her. "Easy there, Sakura-chan. The boss is outside beating the shit outta that asshole." It soothed as it called out to the others. "Hey! Go find a blanket or something to cover her up with!"

With a series of nods, the clones searched and found the article they were looking for and they wrapped her up in it and surrounded her, forming a protective picket line around her.

Back outside, the combatants were huffing as they eyed each other with contempt. Sasuke took the opportunity to throw in a barb to bait Naruto. "Hey dobe! You missed the show! I just showed your girlfriend what a real man is like in the sack!" He sneered at them.

Naruto again went deathly silent. He felt the Kyuubi speak to him. _**"I know what you're going to ask for, Naru-chan. Here is my power, be careful with it. Protect your loved ones with it."**_ She told him as the potent chakra flooded his system.

He turned to Tenten next. "I wanna thank you for your help, but I gonna need you to step back."

Tenten gave him a grin. "Any time, Naruto."

The red chakra began to swirl and manifest itself physically as he felt his energy return to him, getting him back to 100% strength. His killing intent was squarely focused on Sasuke, making him shake with fear.

Just before he could throw himself at the treacherous Uchiha, two familiar figures blocked his path. He looked up and saw who they were. "Gai-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!"

"Stand down Naruto, Tenten. We'll handle this." He ordered them calmly as Naruto let the Kyuubi chakra die down.

Gai wasted no words as he quickly and viciously took Sasuke down with a nasty gut punch that embedded him in a nearby wall. He scraped Sasuke off of the wall and dragged his unconscious form over by the scruff of his shirt.

Kakashi calmly asked them what happened there, which Tenten was more than happy to explain, followed by Naruto's account of events. After they were finished, the two senseis were almost prepared to finish off the Uchiha themselves, but they thought better of it and just bound him up in steel wire and went inside the house to check on Sakura.

Once inside, they ended up spooking the clones Naruto had guarding her, all of them ready to kill on sight. "Hey! It's just me! The teme's down, it's over!" He told them as they dispelled.

He knelt down in front of Sakura and tried to comfort her, but she pulled away fearfully. "Sakura-chan! It's me!"

She looked up to his face and touched his whisker marks to make sure he was real. As soon as she was sure, she launched herself into his chest, crying her eyes out. "NARUTO!!!!!"

He held her tightly, not wanting to let her go. "It's gonna be okay. He's not going to hurt you anymore."

Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder to get his attention. "We need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible."

Sakura looked around. She squeaked and pulled on Naruto even tighter. "It's okay, they're here to help." He assured her as he bundled her up in the blanket and carried her in his arms.

"Gai, I'll call some ANBU here to pick up the garbage. Tenten and I will wait here for them and join you at the hospital afterwards. Rin is on duty tonight and she'll help you from there." He told them.

Gai nodded in affirmation. "Right. Naruto, are you ready to go?"

Naruto nodded his head, signaling he was ready and they sped off into the night, making all possible haste to the hospital.

As they disappeared from sight, Tenten let out a sigh. "I wish I had someone that loved me like he loves her. He flipped out when he found her and fought like crazy. He would have ripped that bastard to shreds if you and Gai-sensei hadn't shown up." She confided in the Copy-nin.

"Well, he certainly is one of a kind." He replied as they continued to wait for the ANBU to arrive on the scene.

_**KONOHA HOSPITAL 2200 HRS**_

Gai and Naruto barrelled through the double doors of the hospital and sought out Rin, who saw them come in anyway. She gasped in horror as she was told about what happened to Sakura and she admitted her in a heartbeat and led them to a treatment room. Gai had left to inform Sarutobi of what happened and returned with a furious and worried Hokage.

"Sakura, are you alright?" He asked the girl, his aged voice frought with concern.

"I-I don't know, Hokage-sama." She responded in a quivering voice.

His eyes narrowed. _'Damn that Uchiha and the council that keeps protecting him!'_ He thought.

Rin came up to them and got their attention. "Sorry guys. I going to have to ask you to wait outside while we work on her and run some tests." The medic told them as they complied.

Sakura began to reach out for Naruto again. "No! Don't leave me alone!" She cried.

"It's okay. Rin-neechan is going to help you, Sakura-chan. I'll be just outside the room. I'll never leave you." He told her as he kissed her on the forehead and left the room to let Rin and the medics work.

Before leaving he pulled Rin over to him. "Nee-chan...Please. Please help her..." He choked out, trying to stem his tears.

Rin pulled him in for a hug. "Of course. I'll do everything I can to help her." She assured him as he left the room.

Outside, Gai and Sarutobi sat on opposite sides on of the saddened blonde, looking on in worry.

"Why?" He croaked out. "Why did this have to happen to Sakura-chan?!" He cried out in pain as he sobbed into his hands.

Tenten and Kakashi had just arrived at the hospital to see him break down. Tenten rushed over to the grief-stricken blonde and enveloped him in a comfroting embrace as Kakashi delivered his report to his superior.

"Hokage-sama, Sasuke Uchiha is now in custody of the ANBU and currently incarcerated in their cells, awaiting trial. I will have a full report on your desk by first light." He informed the aged leader in a crisp professional tone. He then turned his attention to the grieving Naruto.

"Naruto, I can't imagine how tough this is for you, but I'll help you and Sakura in any way that I can." He told the boy sympathetically, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you. All of you." He replied, his voice gaining strength. "I'll never forget this as long as I live. I vow on my nindo, the Uzumaki Way, that I'll repay all you've done for Sakura-chan." He vowed, his word filled with strength and conviction that were easy to detect.

The old Hokage smiled with pride. _'I've never been more proud of you, Naruto.'_

Gai cleared his throat as he spoke his piece. "In all seriousness, Naruto-kun, I am very proud of how you are handling this. If you or Sakura need ANYTHING, just let myself or Lee know."

"Thanks sensei. It's nice to know we can count on our team." He replied with a smile.

"Same with me and Rin, Naruto." Kakashi added.

Tenten also spoke up and offered support. "If Sakura needs a girl to talk with about this, she can talk to me if she wants to." She offered.

"Thanks, Ten-chan. I'll let her know."

"Naruto, when her mother and your brother return from their mission, do you want to tell them yourself, or do you want me to be there with you?" He asked the boy.

"If it's alright with you, can we tell them in your office, Jii-chan?" He asked.

"As you wish, Naruto." He told the boy. He truly saw him as another grandson, and he'd be damned if he didn't help him through this mess.

Suddenly, the door to Sakura's room opened and Rin came out, pulling down her mask. Naruto wasted no time in asking her how she was.

Kakashi had concerns as well. "How is she Rin?"

Rin took a deep breath and began to explain. "Physically, she'll recover in around 8 days time, but I highly recommend that she see a councilor about what happened before she returns to full duty." She stated as she looked at Naruto.

"Go on inside. She's been asking for you." She told him softly as he darted off into the room. As soon as he was inside the room she shut the door slightly and told the rest to the others.

"We ran the rape kit on her and it came back positive for semen, but thankfully there was only just enough to take samples. After the samples were taken, we gave her a contraceptive solution to eliminate any chances of pregnancy. She had massive muscle and inner wall tears, as well as the cuts, bruises, and abrasions she had from her bindings, but her hemmoraging was minor, thankfully. In all honestly, I'd like to kill the little bastard that did this very slowly. I don't care if he's the precious last Uchiha! He stole her virginity from her, something that is completely unforgivable!" She raged slightly as she turned to Tenten.

"You and Naruto prevented her from being forced into an unwanted pregnancy. You especially, Tenten. You stopped him from finishing.

Tenten shivered and hugged herself. "I know, but...that bastard is on my team. I don't feel safe with him around, especially if what I've heard about the council is true."

Kakashi knew what he had to do. "Don't worry. I'd sooner cut off his hands than let him touch you or anyone else like that." He told his kunoichi student to give her some form of comfort.

"I'll see what I can do about the council. I won't go down without a fight." Sarutobi assured them. He was tired of the council trying to walk all over him and the shinobi of the village.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Naruto nearly bum rushed the bed Sakura was on. "Sakura-chan! You're alright!! Thank Kami!!" He cried happily as they embraced each other tightly.

But suddenly, she pulled away from him, her gaze cast downward. "S-Sakura-chan? W-what's wrong?" He asked, his voice filled with dread.

The girl began to sob heavily. "H-he tainted me...I'm n-not pure anymore...I'm filthy now!!!" She cried further as she buried her face in her hands. "You w-wouldn't want me anym-more..."

Naruto looked at with a hard gaze. "Sakura-chan, stop it." He told her sternly, getting her attention.

"What that...bastard did to you is not your fault! I still love you and I always will! Please, don't push me away..." He told her as he fought back his tears.

Sakura gazed at him in wonder. _'He really does love me...I should have known that...'_ She mentally chided herself.

_**"Shannaro!! His heart's always been ours and our alone!!! He's always told us that! Tell him you love him too, dumbass!!"**_ I.S bellowed in her mind.

_"Alright already! Damn!"_ She told her inner persona to placate her. She reached out and stroked Naruto's whiskered cheeks softly and lovingly as she prepared to speak her mind.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I was just so scared that you wouldn't love me anymore. I shouldn't have doubted how you felt about me and I want to tell you that I love you, too. With all of my heart, mind, body, and soul. I am yours and nothing will ever change that. Ever." She declared to him as she pulled him into a deep loving kiss, a kiss that further reinforced everything that she vowed to him.

When the kiss broke, Naruto was left staring into her jade green eyes in amazement. After he recovered he had a vow of his own to make, kneeling at her bedside.

"Sakura-chan, Everything that I am and have, I give to mind, body, heart, and soul now belong to you and you alone. You will always have me and I will never abandon you. I will love you until the end of time." He told her honestly as he geared up for his big question.

"I know this is a few years off, but when we're old enough, will you marry me?" He asked as he took her hands into his.

The young girl was shocked to put it mildly, but shock was something that I.S shrugged right off. _**"He offering to be our forever!! Yes!! Say yes, dammit!!"**_ I.S shouted.

Sakura's eyes were wet with tears again, only this time they were tears of happiness. "Yes...yes I will, Naruto-kun!!!!" She cried out as she held him for dear life, never wanting to let him go.

The rest of the group that came to the hospital and a late arriving Lee all heard the proclaimations of love and the future wedding proposal and there wasn't a single dry eye in attendance.

Tenten thought that it was the single most romantic thing she had ever heard or seen in her life. All of those romance novels she kept under her bed didn't even come close to what she just bore witness to.

She started to cry gently but was supported by an equally teary eyed Lee who had the most gentle smile on his face that she'd ever seen him have. He made a slient vow of his own, that he would always support and defend his teammates and friends to the death. To him, a fellow orphan just like Naruto, his friends and team were his family. Even though Sasuke's actions that night were heinous and demanded swift, brutal retribution, making sure his family was okay came first.

Gai watched the love his two students showed for each other with no small amount of pride. There were no passion filled shouts and declarations of youth, because they just wouldn't do this happy occassion justice. He settled for a soft grin and a single, small tear the ran down his face.

Sarutobi watched the boy who grew up alone and hated be accepted and loved by the one he loved in return. He hoped against hope that he would still be around to administer their wedding ceremony personally when the time came. He wished the two of them a bright and happy future together from the bottom of his heart as the powerful old shinobi leader let his emotions flow.

Rin cried openly in to her former teammate's vest, who himself was letting a few tears go. _'Sensei, Kushina-san. I hope that you can see this. Your son has found the love he has craved his entire life. Her love for him will give him the strength to overcome any obstacle, to accomplish the impossible.'_

Rin looked over at the happy couple and smiled sadly. "I wish Obito were here to see this. He would have really liked Naruto."

"Yeah. I wish he was still with us, too. I bet he's smiling down on us along with sensei and Kushina-san right now." The copy-nin replied as he pulled Rin in closer.

Tenten managed to compose herself and decided to make their presence known. "Hey! If Ino's the maid of honor, can I be a bride's maid?" She called out.

Lee, almost as if on cue mirrored her request. "Oooh! Can I be a Groom's man?! I wanna wear one of those fancy suits!" He asked them, as excited as a kid at Christmas time.

Naruto and Sakura turned to face them with matching, glowing smiles. _'Oh my, it's Minato and Kushina all over again...'_ Sarutobi said inwardly, his grin growing even wider.

Sakura told Tenten that she was more than welcome to be a bride's maid when the time came, but Naruto's answer was different.

"Sorry Lee, you won't be a groom's man." Lee felt heartbroken when he heard this but Naruto wasn't finished.

"You'll be my Best Man, standing right there with me when the time comes." He told the bowl cut boy.

Lee could hardly believe his ears. He began to whoop with glee and even snatched Tenten into a near bonecrushing hug. She simply hugged him back, knowing how he gets when excited. "Lee, you excitable baka, calm down. We're in a hospital, you know." She scolded him softly.

Lee apologized for being so loud, but she admitted that she was happy as well. Very few tragedies such as this had a positive outcome.

They all looked back at Naruto and Sakura, seeing Naruto's head resting in her lap while she played with his spiky hair and whisker marks. She looked around for Rin and found her near by at the door to her room.

"Rin-san, can Naruto-kun stay here with me?"

"Of course, dear." She told her as she pulled a blanket off of an unused bed and draped it over Naruto. She turned to the rest of the crowd. "Alright, show's over. Let's let them get some rest." She told them while shooing them out of the room. The group dispersed and all went home.

Sarutobi felt uneasy about leaving them unguarded, so he had two of his most trusted ANBU watch over them. "Tora, Neko. Allow no one but these people near them. Check for henges and genjutsu on all visitors and staff. This village has shown itself to be untrustworthy where Naruto's well being is concerned. I will not have anything happening to them under this roof, am I clear?" He instructed the two elite shinobi.

The two nodded to the affirmative and took their posts, Tora outside of the door and Neko on the ledge outside the window. Neko, being a woman herself, couldn't help but shiver in disgust at what the last Uchiha had done. Rape was always highly frowned upon in Konoha, and those who were found guilty of it were severly punished. Losing their shinobi status would be the least of their worries.

Unfortunately, said shinobi was the village 'prince', the last of the supposedly loyal Uchiha, Sasuke. She and her partner had heard no end of stories that the council were almost puppets to the spoiled boy's will, giving him anything he wanted to keep him happy, all in the best interests of the village, they would claim.

_'A laughable and pathetic excuse...I already know that they are going to pardon the Uchiha, but we'll be ready for him next time he tries this. I'll kill him myself if I catch him...'_ Neko thought angrily with a growl to match.

_A/N: This chapter was difficult for me to write, as it is a crime that I could never forgive. Rape is a crime of revenge and it fits Sasuke's vengence driven personality to a very creepy tee. Jealousy is another motivating factor in this sort of crime, and could be directed not at the victim per se, but at the victims loved ones. In canon, he has all the right motivators for the crime, not to mention the twisted mind set that follows. Also, he has developed a very dangerous type of OCD that fixates on people and property. Ones under this type could become very dangerous if not kept in check. Unfortunately, Sasuke's wasn't and it was allowed to fester until it came down to this._

_Sasuke wanted Naruto to suffer, but was too cowardly take him on directly, so he waited until Ichigo and Hitomi were out of town, Naruto and Sakura were both tired from training and for Naruto to go home to make his move. This resulted in Sakura being too tired to fend him off properly and Naruto to not be able to take him down by himself due to fatigue until the Kyuubi decided to get involved._

_Next chapter, you will see how the village takes the news and also the return of Ichigo and Hitomi. This won't be pretty. BTW, inspiration for this chapter came from the fic by Mr. Lee, entitled,"How to mend a broken heart". Very dark, but captivating story that is also Naru/Saku, but sadly it remains unfinished. I would adopt it, but I could hardly do it justice._


	11. Aftermath and Healing

_Hey y'all. Chapter 11 is now up and running. Now, based on some of the reviews that I've gotten, some of you think that Ichigo should go on a killing spree. I say no, because there has to be some adversity for them to overcome as a family and make them stronger for it to make this story better than it would be. Lashing out in hatred is a sign of weakness but restraint when you hold the power to destroy is a sign of strength. Hope and love CAN overcome hatred and despair, if they truly believe in each other and will put their fate into each others hands. _

_**ONE WEEK LATER **_

The news of Sasuke's horrendous actions spread like wildfire through the small village and caused an even bigger rift between the shinobi and the civilians. The shinobi were outraged that Sasuke had committed such a horrible crime, but the civilians argued that it was for the best interests of the village that he did that, as he, in their minds, was trying to produce an Uchiha heir.

When the rest of their classmates found out what Sasuke had done to Sakura, they were out for blood. Ino was shaking with fury over the incident and was about to go looking for him so she could give him a piece of her mind when her own father stopped her. He told her that he would handle it and he didn't want her anywhere NEAR Sasuke, lest the same thing happen to her. It frightened Inoichi. He knew theat if something happened to his little girl it would not only destroy his wife, but himself as well.

Sasuke's own teammates Neji and Tenten were both disgusted with him. Neji couldn't imagine himself commiting such a barbaric and vulgar act. He believed that Sasuke has dishonored his dead clan and their name, dragging it through the mud. Tenten slept with a kunai in her hand and kept her weapons on her at all times. She even installed some of her weapon summoning seals into her clothes to be safe.

Kakashi took it as yet another failure on his part. Another failure and someone else had to pay the price for it, just like with Obito.

Shikamaru and Chouji, when they first found out, they went silent and just walked away. Ino followed them back to their teams training grounds to find her two teammates pounding the hell out of some training logs to the point that their knuckles were bleeding. Chouji couldn't believe that Sasuke would stoop so low and Shikamaru was still trying to make sense of it all, but failing.

Team 8 heard the news and took it rather hard. They never really knew Sakura that well, but she was still a classmate at it hit too close to home for their comfort. Hinata herself felt dirty whenever Sasuke looked at her on the street, but was never alone. Her teammates had taken to escorting her whenever she left the Hyuuga compound.

Kurenai took it very personally. Rape was no laughing matter to the crimson-eyed Jounin as she had heard her fair share of horror stories from other kunoichi that it had happened to and it hurt her deeply to hear about it happening to one so young and within the village to boot. It frightened the normally unflappable kunoichi, but not for herself. She was scared for her kunoichi student and what might happen to her.

Lee and Gai were both oddly silent to all but their team. No shouts or cries of youth, no ridiculous self imposed punishments. Just silence. Lee nearly snapped when a Uchiha supporter commented that whoever stopped him from finishing should have been tried for treason because they prevented the revival of the Uchiha clan. Gai was surprized that he had such a hard time restraining his enraged student as it took him a full minute to stop Lee's vicious assault that left the man with multiple fractures to his face, permanently disfiguring him.

The two councils of the village were at each others throats over the issue of punishing the last Uchiha for his crimes. The Shinobi council were pushing from incarceration, to hard labor in the mining camps with his chakra permanently sealed, and execution. They argued that there was no room in the village's shinobi forces for a rapist of the worst kind.

Unfortunately, the civilian council had been gaining political clout of the years and were overruling every punishment that came their way. They even granted Sasuke a full pardon, going so far as to congradulate him for trying to reestablish his clan. It hardly mattered to them what the cost was as long as they got what they wanted.

The council is willing to use the hatred and ignorance of the general villagers and the fact that shinobi cannot hurt them without due cause to their advantage and the shinobi are using their training to stay one step ahead of them. Even most of the shinobi that hated Naruto before now sympathize with him due to how he handled what happened. A demon would have destroyed the village many times over with the power it possessed. No demon would have cried or loved like he could and that meant something to them.

The clans that were the most pissed were the Inuzuka and the Yamanaka. Tsume, the Inuzuka head, was outraged as both a woman and the mother of a daughter. She reasoned that what happened to Sakura was not uncommon during times of war, but this was wartime and Sasuke committed this act against a Konoha kunoichi. She also wanted to be quoted as saying that she kill him and feed his corpse to her dogs, but she doesn't feed them garbage.

Inoichi Yamanaka snarled in rage when the descision to pardon the Uchiha came down. He was even more livid at the fact that this happened to a very close friend of his daughter's and it could have happened to her just as easily. He couldn't wait to get his hands on the smug little bastard so he could grind his mind into jelly then strangle the life from with his bare hands.

Although, they all shuddered to think what would happen when Ichigo and Hitomi found out about what happened. They could all see Ichigo stomping the entire village flat if he had to and Hitomi would go on a killing spree in the civilian council meeting room.

Sarutobi sat in his office with his head in his hands. As much as he didn't like the council walking all over him, there was nothing he could do with his limited political powers. The civilian were touting the Uchiha like he was some sort of war hero for what he did and he couldn't stop them.

"How could this get any worse?" He groaned. Sadly he was going to get his answer very soon.

_**KONOHA MAIN GATE MAY 31ST 1230 HRS.**_

"Damn that little weasel Aoi... wasting our time with his stupid games." Grumbled Ichigo as they came up to the checkpoint. Izumo and Kotetsu came out of their little guard shack and asked how the mission went, as they remembered Aoi. They thought he was a real slimy bastard, up there with the Uchiha kid.

"It took a little doing to kick over the rock that rat bastard was hiding under, but we bagged his ass. Same with his cohorts, too. All they could really do was hide and once we found them, we showed no mercy." He told the as he regaled the tale of the mission to them briefly.

After that was done they set their course for Hokage Tower to go debrief the Hokage on their successful mission. Along the way, they noticed that they were being glared at by the civilian populace while the shinobi gave them looks of sympathy.

They were about to just Shunshin to the tower when the heard a man grunt out an insult. "Hmph. The mother of the fox slut. Good thing that Uchiha made a REAL woman outta that little wench she calls a daugh..." He was cut off in mid sentence by two things.

One of them was that he was being held two feet above the ground by his neck by a tall, enraged blonde man and the other was a pink haired woman who had her black blade caressing his face, draw blood ever so slightly.

"WHAT WAS THAT YOU WORM!?!?" Ichigo snarled in rage, his killing intent focused so sharply on the man that he barely managed to get a few words out before he passed out.

"Uchi...ha...taken...Haruno girl...chastity..."

His eyes flew eye with alarm as he chucked the man carelessly into the street. "Hitomi. Let's go." He breathed, trying to contain his rage. She nodded and they both performed the Shunshin, teleporting to the Hokage's office.

_**HOKAGE TOWER : HOKAGE'S OFFICE 1300 HRS**_

Hitomi and Ichigo made all possible haste in getting to the Hokage's office. As soon as Izumi, Sarutobi's secretary, saw them marching down the hallway, she let them in without a word, knowing better that to get between a parent and her child's welfare.

They walked through the office doors, intent on getting some answers, but business first. Ichigo stepped up and saluted. "Jounin's Uzumaki and Haruno returning from our successful mission. The traitor known as Aoi Rokusho is no more." He stated as he handed over the scroll that contained Aoi's head and the Raijin sword. He then proceeded to go over a quick account of the mission.

_**FLASHBACK : BORDERS OF RAIN AND GRASS COUNTRIES **_

_Hitomi and Ichigo had spent the last 3 days tracking the traitor to a small border village the stradled both Rain and Grass countries, but it had shinobi from both patrolling it constantly. Aoi knew that Konoha would come for him eventually and he intented to stick to areas that they wouldn't be able to strike at him without causing an incident. Thankfully, one of Ichigo's abilities came in handy, his ability to hijack radio transmissions and listened in to the conversations of the patrol teams to keep them one step ahead._

_They disguised themselves as simple merchants, a husband and wife pair that would be below suspicion in order to puruse the town unchecked. They soon found their target near the brothel district with three other nuke-nin that were also in the Bingo Book. _

_The first was Daisuke Igarame, a B-Rank nin from Kumo who butchered his Genin team and fled the village. The second was Ikito Bunwa, a C-rank nin from Iwa who had a nasty habit of hunting Genin and fledgling shinobi and murdering them in cold blood. The third was a real scumbag, Kanato Iwai from Iwa. He was an A-Rank nin who also delved into slavery and was a known pedophile._

_The group were getting their rocks off in the redlight district and were actually being rather careless. They agreed that Hitomi would handle Ikito and Daisuke while Ichigo would take out Aoi and Kanato._

_When Ichigo began his jamming of the radios in the area, Hitomi was able to slink right into the brothel unnoticed. Her first victim, Ikito, never saw her coming as she made use of the speed training she had under Ichigo and lopped his head clean off in one fluid strike. He was dead before he could blink. She silently sealed his head into a scroll when her second target stumbled upon her. He managed to fight back and knocked her sword away from her. Daisuke got overconfident, thinking that she was helpless without it and tried to just take her hostage to enjoy later. What he found was that she was just as deadly, if not more so, without it as she slipped around behind him lightning fast and snapped his neck with a nasty jumping, spinning kick, delivered with brutal and ruthless efficiency. She proceeded to add his head to the collection as she fell back to the meeting point that she and her partner agreed to._

_Ichigo's small op went similar to Hitomi's, only that the two he was stalking were harder to get to unnoticed. Aoi was out in the open, but he managed to lure him away from the mainstreets and onto a deserted back street. Once there, he wasted no words as he broke the traitor's neck with a modified sleeper hold. As he prepared to cut off his head, Kanato stumbled into the alley with a new 'aquistion' and ripped off her clothes but stopped as he noticed him. He smirked as he threw the girl to the side and advanced on him, completely underestimating his opponent. What happened next was merely a blur. Ichigo flickered from 10 yards in front of the Iwa nin to right behind him, resheathing his wakazashi as his head fell from his shoulders in a fountain of blood in seemingly the same instant. _

_That was the first time he'd used the Amekakeru in combat, but it worked beautifully. He had been experimenting with the technique since he was in his homeworld after learning it from a strange old man who was known as the Battousai in his youth or he so claimed. _

_Their job done, they beat a hasty retreat back to Konoha. The near rape he stopped had only caused his worry to grow from the ill omen he felt a few days ago._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

The report was wrapped up and Sarutobi couldn't have been more pleased with the results. They accomplished their objectives and even took out three targets of opportunity to boot. His good mood came to an end, however, when he remembered that he needed to inform them of what happened to Sakura.

"Very good work, you two. However, I'm afraid I have some very grave news to you all. If you will follow me to the council chamber." He told them as he led them out of his office. They looked each other in the eye, and linked fingers to brace themselves for whatever was coming their way as they followed Sarutobi.

Upon entering the meeting chamber, they were met with the heads from all of the shinobi clans, all of which except for the Hyuuga gave them sympahthetic and apologetic looks that only increased their dread. Even Elder Koharu looked downcast as Sarutobi took his seat. He then began to tell them of what happened the night that they left.

Ichigo went numb from shock, not wanting to believe what happened but he knew that Sarutobi wouldn't lie about something this serious. Hitomi stood rigid for a few brief moments. Then, people could hear her begin to sob, seeing her shoulders jerk violently. She then let it all out as she buried her face into her partner's vest as he held her tight, trying to stay strong for her.

Koharu could understand why she was so upset. It was every parents nightmare that something like this could happen, but no one imagined that it would happen within the village. She saw how tightly the two of them held one another and prayed that they had the strength to make it through this.

Ichigo knew that this was only half of the story, asking Sarutobi to tell him everything. To his surprize, the wily old man began to crack a small grin as he told them of what happened in the hospital.

Hitomi and Ichigo were estatic with the news that Naruto had proposed marriage to Sakura and that she accepted. They knew that the wedding would have to wait until they were sixteen, but they made up their minds on the matter themselves. Hitomi gave her full approval for the future union, looking up into her partner and lover's eyes with hope.

They were, however, furious with the civilian council's ruling that Sasuke Uchiha walked free and was aquitted of all charges. Those bastards were practically singing his praises and it pissed Ichigo off so much that he let his chakra flare so harshly that he nearly blinded Hiashi when he tried to use his Byakugan to study him.

Hitomi immeadiately shot into damage control mode by getting him to calm down. "Don't do it...Please don't. They're not worth it..." Hitomi cried into his back. It worked as his aura died down almost immeadiately, but he wore a hangdog look on his face.

"I-I'm sorry, Hitomi-chan."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Tsume Inuzuka with a look of understanding on her face. "I know you're angry, kid, but killing off the civilian council won't solve anything." She told him.

"So there's nothing we can do? We just sit here while that little bastard gets away with this?" He asked in a voice that was nearly a whisper.

Tsume shook her head. "No, no. What I'm saying is let us help. I pledge the support of my clan, the Inuzuka." She told him gently.

He was stunned but was also very grateful and would accept all of the support he could get. "Thank you, Inuzuka-sama." He thanked the matriache.

Tsume let out a bark like laugh as she thumped him on the back. "Just call me Tsume, kiddo." She chuckled, causing him to chuckled too.

"Alright, Tsume."

"Atta boy! Y'know, I like you! From what I've heard, you know how to treat a lady like a lady. My daughter Hana IS 18 and single. You're what, 20? 21?" She teased the tall blonde. The response she got was pure gold as Hitomi clutched at him HARD and almost growled.

"MINE." She snarled.

Tsume laughted even harder. "You're already spoken for, eh?" She teased him but leaned in close so only Hitomi could hear her.

"You've got impeccable taste. Good catch." She confided in Hitomi, who blushed attractively.

"I'd like to think so." She whispered in response.

During all of this, the rest of the heads had been deliberating amongst themselves when Tsume offered up her support. Inoichi was the first among them to reach a decsion. "I pledge the support of the Yamanaka clan!" He declared loudly.

"The Akimichi's pledge their support as well!" Chouze announced.

Shikaku sighed before standing. "Normally I'd say that this would be troublesome, but this isn't the time for that. The Nara's also give their support."

Hiashi couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Have you all taken leave of your senses?! You would willingly help that...thing?!" He shouted.

Koharu stepped forward. "Yes. We would and will. Naruto is just a boy yes, but he has also bore such an awful and unjust burden so well. The Uchiha is the real monster. He proved that exactly one week ago. Naruto truly loves the Haruno girl. No monster could ever do something like that, so we must ask ourselves, who are the real monsters?" She argued passionately in Naruto's defense.

Hiashi was reduced to indignant sputtering and stuttering as he tried to find a counter-arguement, but came up empty. "Fools...All of you are fools!!!" He spat out venomously as he stormed out of the meeting room.

Ichigo walked up to the elders side. "Thank you, Koharu-sama." He thanked her in a deep bow to convey his graditude.

Koharu touched his shoulder. "Please rise, Ichigo-kun. I merely did what was right. That boy has suffered from injustice for far too long." She told him as she noticed the last clan head, still seated.

"Shibi, what are you thoughts on this stiuation?" The elder asked the Aburame head.

"Normally, we Aburame would not let ourselves be swept away by our emotions or let our personal feelings guide our hand. However, this crime was so heinous and malicious in nature, the injustice so great that I cannot allow it to go unpunished." He declared as he paced around the room, stopping in front of Ichigo.

"My son has told me about you, Ichigo-san. He tells me that you have honor and kindness. That you have helped his team to become even more closely knit and effective. I, Shibi Aburame, do hereby declare my clans full support." He told the younger man with a hand on his shoulder.

"Arigatou, Aburame-san." He responded, bowing politely.

Sarutobi smiled at how Ichigo was handling this and was reminded of how Naruto handled the matter. _'You both make me so proud...'_ The old man thought as he beamed with pride.

As the last of the inhabitants filed out, Hitomt and Ichigo remained. "Hokage-sama...How is my little girl? Is she still in the hospital?" Hitomi asked worriedly.

"No. She is resting at home currently. Teams 8, 10, Gai, and the remnants of Team 7 have all taken on C-Rank missions to guard over her. Naruto has constantly been at her side and hasn't left her since that night." He informed the pair as they made all possible haste over to her house.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 1430 HRS**_

Team 8 were in their respective positions around the Haruno residence, waiting with their nerves on edge for anything to happen. They really didn't like the looks that most of the civilian population were giving them for doing their job. Hinata was so unsettled by it, that she asked Kiba to switch with her. She was stationed in the house, able to keep watch with her Byakugan, Kiba on the front porch and Shino on the roof, providing overwatch.

Ichigo and Hitomi flickered in to the area suddenly, spooking Kiba and Akamaru. Shino heard their combined yelp of surprize, but hopped down to lend support. Kiba saw him land and got into a combat stance as well.

"Not again?! Damn imposters!" Kiba growled, but before he could do anything else, Hinata came barreling out of the house.

"Kiba-kun!! Shino-kun!! Stop!! They're the real Haruno-san and Ichigo-sensei!!" She yelled to her teammates, getting them to stand down. Kiba let out an audiable sigh of relief.

"Whew...Good. Sorry about that, but we thought that you might have been more imposters." The dog-boy told the two adults.

This made their eyes widen for a moment. "What? Just...how bad have things been?" Hitomi asked them.

"They've been pretty bad." A voice called out from the doorway as Kurenai stepped out into the street slightly.

"Many civilians and a number of shinobi seem to think the Uchiha is some sort of hero for what he did. The raven haired kunoichi finished, shuddering with disgust before continuing on.

"Kakashi encountered a pair of shinobi that tried to get to Naruto and Sakura by way of a Henge, but Neji caught them just in time. They had a poison syringe in their possession that was likely meant for Naruto. After they were caught, all they would tell anyone was that _'Uchiha-sama will have his bride'_, like they were in some kind of trance. Not even Anko and Ibiki could get anymore out of them than that before they died in their cells. Apparently, they were hiding cyanide tablets in their teeth." She explained to them about the past week.

They did get some assistance, however. The Ichiraku's provided the teams with free lunch while they were on the job and some of the parents ofter dropped by to check on things. They also saw two ANBU that intermittently patrolled the area. One of them nodded at the genin approvingly.

Both Ichigo's and Hitomi's expressions darkened, remembering the forced marriage attempt made by the Uchiha over a month ago.

"He still thinks that she belongs to him. Damn that council and that brat to hell!" Hitomi snarled while clenching her fists.

Ichigo turned to Kurenai and the assembled Team 8. "Kurenai-san, thank you." He thanked her from the bottom of his heart.

Kurenai smiled and waved it off. "It was nothing. We were glad to help." She told them before she turned to her team.

"Alright! Pack it in, team! Mission accomplished!" She ordered.

Hinata walked up to Ichigo before leaving with her team. "G-goodbye, I-Ichigo-sensei." She told him shyly.

Ichigo chuckled at her bashfulness before answering her. "I'll see you later, Hina-chan." He told her warmly as he ruffled her dark hair lightly and affectionately, causing her to blush and giggle lightly. He did that often with her and it seemed to make her feel better. Hinata had become very fond of the tall blond man since their heart to heart.

After they watched Team 8 disappear around the corner, they ventured into the house and up the stairs, not even removing their mission gear and weapons, to check on the two young ones. Once they made it up the stairs and into Sakura's room, Hitomi was greeted by one of the cutest sights she had ever seen.

Naruto and Sakura were both resting against the headboard of Sakura's bed peacefully, hand in hand with slight smiles on their faces, as if they dreamt only of each other. Ichigo couldn't help but pull Hitomi into a one armed embrace, before speaking his mind. "I hope they really do get married. They seem so...natural together." He commented.

They walked out of the room so that the two young ones could have some peace, and down to the kitchen to make a late lunch. They hadn't even stopped to eat on their way back and were quite hungry. They sat down and ate in peace while discussing things that happened on their mission and what to do about their current situation.

After an hour of peace and quiet, they heard a knocking on the door, slightly startling the pair as they reached for their weapons. Ichigo drew one of his wakazashi and held it in a ready grip as he cautiously opened the door, Hitomi backing him up.

Upon opening the door, he found to his surprize all four of the sensei there before him. He felt no chakra coming from them that would indicate a henge or genjutsu, so he relaxed his guard.

"What can we do for you?" Hitomi asked them.

Kakashi took a deep breath and stepped forward to explain. "The council has decided to keep the Uchiha on my team, despite the crime he committed. Also, they are sending all four of us on a month long mission as a "refresher" to keep our qualifications up." He explained, throwing up air quotes at the refresher part.

"We were wondering, if the two of you would mind taking over our teams for the month?" Asuma asked them.

Ichigo and Hitomi looked at each other for a scant moment and nodded. It would allow them to keep a good eye on Sasuke and protect Sakura and the other girls from him.

"We'll do it. I'll take Teams 7 and 10." Ichigo answered them.

"I guess that leaves me with Teams Gai and 8." Hitomi chimed in.

All four sensei nodded and grinned slightly. "Excellent! We will inform our teams of the situation and have them meet you at our usual meeting places. My team and Team 10 will meet at the bridge, while Teams 8 and Gai will meet at TG# 23 at 0700 hours tomorrow." Kakashi told them with his usual eye-smile.

With the details out of the way, the posse of Jonin lept off to inform their students of the situation. Hitomi was puzzled about his choice.

"Why did you choose Team 7 so willingly?" She asked him.

"Well, I figured that you would want to stay close to Sakura considering what happened and keep the Uchiha at a distance. I also picked Team 10 because they are the least likely to be overtly hostile, even if only by a hair. Shikamaru is pretty good at keeping his cool and can help his teammates keep theirs as well." He explained.

Hitomi pondered his reasonings and nodded approvingly. "That's a pretty good idea." She remarked.

The two adults in the house made their way back upstairs to Sakura's room to check on them. As they opened the door, the creaking sound it made roused the sleeping pair from their slumber.

Naruto and Sakura opened their eyes to see their respective guardians watching them with matching smiles and an arm around one another.

Naruto got up from the bed, walked over to Hitomi and got down on his hands and knees, head down. "I...I'm sorry...I couldn't protect her from him...I'm sorry!!" He cried out desperately, his whole body shuddering with his sobs.

The sight broke the woman's heart as she bent down and scooped him up into a comforting embrace, rocking him slowly.

"Shhh. It's okay, Naruto-chan. I already know about what happened and it most certainly is not your fault. You and Tenten-chan stopped the worst from happening, her getting pregnant from this. Hokage-sama also told me of what was said in the hospital, and yes. I give you my blessing to marry her when the time comes." The pink tressed woman told him gently as she kissed him on his forehead.

Naruto looked up into her emerald green eyes with his crystal blues, happiness and graditude shining in them. "Thank you...thank you..." He whispered to her as he pulled tightly into her hug.

She turned her attention to the man at her side. "Ichigo-kun, when that day comes, I would like you to be the one to walk her down the isle and present the bride. You've more than earned that right." She told him softly.

Ichigo couldn't help but let a few tears fall as he smiled softly. "It would be an honor to do so." He answered, a great amount of pride easily heard in his voice.

Sakura gasped, but smiled widely. She greatly loved Ichigo. He was a wonderful older male figure in her life for the short amount of time that she has known him. She secretly wished that he was her father, that she grew up with him around. Now that he and her mother have gotten together, it was almost too good to be true. She knew that she wanted him to walk her down the isle on her special day, as a father would.

She rushed over to embrace him tightly, kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you, Ichigo-sensei." She murmured into his ear while a tear fell down her cheek.

"I've only known you for two months, but you've already become so important in my life, like I've known you my entire life and watched me grow up. You've helped Naru-kun and I become so much stronger and even helped bring us together. I want you there...On my wedding day, when my children are born, for the rest of our lives. I love you, sensei." The pinkette finished as he tightened his embrace.

Ichigo held her for a moment more before releasing her. "Same here, Chibi-Hana. I've never had a family and never thought that I'd even get to be part of one. Since I came here, I've gained brothers, sisters, and grandfather and grandmother, aunts and uncles, an honest to God family."

Naruto and Hitomi joined in on the hug, taking in the comfort that it brought.

"This feels...really good." Naruto commented. "I never knew my family or folks, either. But since Aniki came into my life, everything started to come together. Now, I've got the happiness that I always wanted, belonging to a family." He told them as he continued to take comfort in the arms of his family.

After a few more moments, they broke up the embrace and told Naruto and Sakura about what happened with the senseis.

"And so, Ichigo-kun and I will be taking over as senseis for the month. He will be taking Teams 7 and 10, while I'll be taking your team and Team 8." The two Genin were briefed over dinner.

After dinner was over and packed away, the Uzumaki's made their way home. Sakura sighed from her window wistfully and whimsically. "Sakura Uzumaki..." She sighed.

Hitomi couldn't help but over hear that and chuckled to herself. But, her whimsical side surfaced as well.

_'Hitomi Uzumaki...'_ She thought as she got herself ready for bed.

_**UZUMAKI APARTMENT 2016 HRS**_

The Uzumaki pair trudged back to their apartment tired and drained, but thankfully with minimal fuss. They were too tired to go over anything and went straight to bed.

Ichigo sat up in his bed, thinking over everything that had happened in the past week or so. _'I need to step up his training. This is the only way I see to help counter the Uchiha threat. I'll start teaching him the high cost Ninjutsu that he the Uchiha couldn't possibly copy and use without killing himself. Since he has a wind affinity, I'll start with the Kyo Tatsumaki Kaimetsu.'_ He thought as sleep claimed him in its embrace.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE JUNE 1ST 0615 HRS**_

Hitomi and Sakura waited outside of their house for their guys to arrive. Suddenly, from out of the morning mist, she heard Ichigo's voice call out.

"Hey ladies. Been waitin' long?" He asked playfully with a jaunty wave.

Hitomi smirked in reaction. "Hi there, you two." She replied.

"Well, now that I dropped off Naruto, I'd better get going. See ya later today, Tomi-chan!" He told her as he began to speed off to his own teams.

"Wait!" She called out, running up to him with a small bundle in her hands. When she caught up to him, she handed him the parcel, which turned out to be a lunch bento.

"Here. I made you a lunch for today." She told him as she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Have a good day, _honey_." She finished, feeling giddy as a school girl.

He was stunned for a moment, but regained his sauciness. "I will. Love you too, _dear_." He shot back with a grin, making haste to his meeting spot.

Sakura was snickering at her mothers behaivor. "Geez, mom! You're acting like a newly wed right now!" She teased.

"You'll start doing this too before long, my dear." She shot back with a chuckle. She knew her comment hit home when Naruto and Sakura looked at each other and blushed heavily. She brought the two back to reality and made their way to TG# 23.

_**THE BRIDGE 0645 HRS**_

Ichigo arrived at the bridge early so that he could observe the team dynamics of both teams. Team 10 arrived as a group as he knew they would. They tended to stick together and moved as a group, too. He then looked at Team 7 and sighed. As expected, Neji and Tenten sat off to the side, while Sasuke brooded in a tree nearby.

He decided that he'd seen enough and made his presence known. Ino was the first to see him and bounded up to him. "Ichigo-sensei! It's been a while!" She greeted him as she turned to her teammates.

"Chouji! Shika! Come on! I want you guys to meet him!" She told them excitedly as she dragged them over.

"What are you doing, Ino? We were going to meet him anyway. He's only gonna be our sensei for a month." Shikamaru drawled out in an annoyed tone.

Ino huffed indignantly at the lazy genius. "No, not just as a sensei, but as a person. He's a pretty neat guy and really nice, too." She told him.

Chouji squinted his eyes for a moment, trying to remember where he saw him before the exam. He suddenly remembered back two months ago when he first saw that really beautiful lady and the tall blonde guy that she was with. "Wait a minute...you were the guy with that really pretty lady! How was that date?! What was it like?! How did you do it?!" The rotund Genin asked excitedly, begging for details.

This caught Ichigo off guard. "Huh?! Oh, um...uh. Well, it was a nice night. She and I were playing chaperone to Naruto and Sakura, but we still had a good time ourselves. There was a little wine, some classical music and waltzing. After all, what date doesn't deserve a little class?" He answed the questions with a sly wink.

Chouji was furiously scribbling down notes, hoping to use them someday. Ino and Tenten both had dreamy, far off looks in their eyes. Shikamaru filed the information away for later scrutiny. Neji actually looked interested in the conversation.

_'At least this one arrives on time and doesn't shove his face into a smut book. He's certainly an interesting one.'_ The Hyuuga lad thought.

Tenten let her euphoria die down and noticed that Sasuke was a little too close for her liking and quickly moved over near her temporary sensei.

He noticed her hasty flight. "What's wrong?" He asked her in a concerned tone.

"Well, uh...It's just...I don't feel safe with..." She stammered out, glancing in Sasuke's direction, who was sending her dark glares.

He nodded and sighed in understanding. "I know that you don't feel safe, but you can rest assured that I won't let anything happen to you." He reassured her.

He turned to address the rest of the Genin under his charge. "Alright, now. Let's go to the mission hall and get some work done. Afterwards, we will hold training and sparring. Let's move it on out!" He ordered as he had them marching off to the Mission Hall.

_**TRAINING GROUND # 23 AT THE SAME TIME**_

Hitomi, Naruto, and Sakura all arrived at the same time as Lee, who spotted them and ran over to greet them. "Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan! Good morning!!"

"Mornin', Lee!"

"Good morning, Lee."

Lee looked over and saw the Hitomi was standing there as well. "Oh, my manners! Good morning to you, Haruno-sensei!" He greeted her enthusiastically.

Hitomi got such a kick out Lee, always did. She was glad that somebody as high spirited as him was on her daughter's team along with Naruto.

"Hitomi-sensei will do, Lee-kun." She told him in mid chuckle.

"Hai, Hitomi-sensei!" He answered her with a salute.

_'That boy is just so spirited, but he's a good boy.'_ She thought as she saw Team 8 arrive.

Hinata walked over to her temporary sensei and greeted her."H-hello, Haruno-sensei."

"Oh, hello there, Hinata-chan! Hitomi-sensei will do, sweetie." She told the shy girl warmly. _'Oooooh, she is sooo cute! I just wanna cuddle her like Naruto-chan!!'_ She squealed inwardly while maintaining clam on the outside.

Hinata wasn't done yet, however. She had a large basket with her. "Ano, Hitomi-sensei...I made this...for everyone to share." She called out timidly as she pulled out what was quite possibly the largest bento they had ever seen.

Kiba gaped at the size of the box. "Whoa! Nice one, Hinata!" He exclaimed, almost salivating at the prospect of food.

"That was very considerate of you, Hinata-chan. Thank you very much." Hitomi told the white-eyed girl kindly, which made her go red in the cheeks, but she still gave a ghost of a smile.

"Hitomi-sensei. What is the plan for today?" Shino asked, wanting to get started.

"Well, I don't know if Kurenai or Gai would like it if I took you all on a C-Rank without them, so we'll stick to D-Rank missions and training. We'll start out with some Taijutsu practice, then stop for lunch, and then go do a D-Rank or two. Everyone got that?" She asked.

"Hai, sensei!" All six genin chorused in unison.

"Pairs will be Kiba and Naruto, Lee and Shino, and Hinata Sakura." She told them as she got them set up to spar.

As soon as they were ready she called out. "Alright! Throw down!" She whooped in glee as the Genin flew into action.

Kiba had no idea what kind of training Naruto had been through, but knew that he was being trained not only by Gai but also by his own brother. After what he saw Ichigo do during the exam, he was very cautious of Naruto's every move during the spar. Kiba fell into the Inuzuka Taijutsu stance and launched himself at Naruto.

Naruto stood in the Muay Thai ready stance, waiting for Kiba to come within range. He got his wish when the Inuzuka heir came flying towards him at a rapid clip. Kiba attempted to grapple with Naruto by grabbing his right shoulder, but the blond spun in place and put him into the dirt with a spinning elbow to the back of the head that had him seeing stars.

Over with Shino and Lee, Shino stood in a defensive stance while carefully studiying Lee, who was in the Goken ready stance with a piercing gaze in his large eyes. A leaf fell inbetween them and that was the unspoken signal to act. Shino let Lee make the first move, but the Goken using youth's speed made that a massive error. Before Shino could even blink, Lee had a fist a hair away from his nose.

"I conceed defead, Lee-san." Shino told him calmly. Lee smiled and fell back into the ready position to try again.

With the girls, however, it had turned into the fight of the century. Even the boys stopped sparring to watch the match. Sakura was using every ounce of her newly gained speed just to parry Hinata's thrusting blows and to keep from being cornered.

Hinata was going full speed, knowing that Naruto was watching her. She knew that she couldn't have him anymore, but she still wanted to see what Sakura was made of and to _'test her worthiness'_. She wasn't disappointed. Both girls gave each other a strike to the gut that sent each other flying in opposite directions, taking each other down. The two battling girls staggered over and met where they seperated, then flopped down on their sides facing each other.

"Good...fight, Hinata." Sakura wheezed out.

"You...too, Sakura-san." Hinata panted in response.

Off to the side, the boys just stared in awe. Kiba was the first to comment. "Now THAT was one hell of a cat fight." He remarked, with the other boys nodding dumbly in agreement, still in shock at the bouts length and viciousness.

They kept on training until lunch time rolled around. Hitomi's chow call saw all of the boys hungrily awaiting Hinata's monster bento. Even Shino looked like he was about to tear into the delicious looking food. When it was ready, they descended upon the lunch like a ravenous pack of Inuzuka hounds, much to Hinata's delight. She truly enjoyed cooking and their praise did wonders for her self-esteem. Ichigo had told her to play her strengths and encouraged her to do the things she liked. This included learning Tai Chi Quan from the tall blond. He said it was a gentle art for a gentle soul.

Her new found confidence found its way into her records and overall performance. She absorbed the Tai Chi training like a sponge and started to integrate it into her Jyuuken. Ichigo found that she was too flexible for the rigid style, so he helped her out.

After everyone was finished with lunch, they packed up and left for the mission hall for a mission.

_**TRAINING GROUND #7 1208 HRS**_

Ichigo's teams worked hard on a porter mission inside of the village and were now stopping for lunch. Everyone had brought a lunch bento except for Tenten, who sheepishly admitted that she forgot hers. Ichigo just chuckled and shook his head.

"Come on, you can share mine with me." He told the bun haired kunoichi.

As he opened the box, a handwritten note fell out.

_"Dear Icchan, I hope that you enjoy the bento I made especially for you. I hope that you can return the favor in a much more...pleasureable way._

_With love,_

_Hitomi_

The blond sensei blushed at the context behind the note while Tenten picked it up and read it. She got a sly grin on her face as she saw his shy reaction to the note.

"Oooh, who's Hitomi, sensei? A ladyfriend of yours?" She teased while she nudged him in the ribs lightly.

Ino overheard the name and added her two cents. "Hitomi?! Sakura's MOM?! Sensei, you stud!" She cackled in glee. This was just too good to pass up.

Chouji stared at him in wonder. "Whoa...She's hot! Hot hot!" He blurted out.

Shikamaru thought back to the day he saw them all dressed up and sported a blush on his face. Even Neji was sporting an amused smirk.

Sasuke, however, sat nearby with a scowl on his face. _'Those stupid dobe brothers...always getting what I want...'_ He thought until a dark thought crossed his mind.

"Hn. If the her daughter was so good, I wonder what the mother feels like?" He sneered with an evil grin.

Before anyone could say or do anything about it, Ichigo was already behind him, pulling up on his chin with his left hand and holding a short blade to his throat with the other, drawing blood.

"You might want to refrain from saying or even thinking such things, _**boy.**_ You were lucky that Hitomi and I were gone, otherwise I would have turned you into human confetti. You're already #1 on my shit list. Don't make it any worse." He snarled at the Uchiha, his words and voice dripping with venom and malice.

"Now, let's get to training, shall we?" He told the teams in a dark, cold tone.

Training went on for another 4 hours before he decided to call it a night. During that time, he managed to calm himself down and helped Tenten get some weapon training in because her teammates and sensei don't really use weapons outside of kunai and shuriken. After a few minutes of using his short blades, she called a time out. She unsealed a pair of staves and threw him one, wanting to see how good he was.

"I've gotta warn you, sensei. I'm pretty good with these." She teased the tall man.

He chuckled as he performed a few flashy moves with his staff. "I think I'll manage."

Thirty minutes later saw Tenten panting on one knee. "Y-You're pretty good!" She exclaimed with a smile.

"Thanks. I know someone who's even better than me with a staff. Way better."

The weapon girl's soft brown eyes sparkled with interest at this piece of information. "Really?! Who?!"

"The old man. The Sandaime. I challenged him once and he made me pay for it. I just a novice with some good moves compared to him."

"Sugoi..." Tenten whispered in wonder. _'Is this guy cool or what?!'_

Ichigo also made sure that he trained Sasuke into the ground, making sure he was too tired to do anything to anyone. He had him doing wind sprints, Hindu Squats, 8 Count Body Builders and other demanding calisthenics to wear him down. He snorted in disgust at how easily he wore out.

"Sakura and Naruto do the exact same routine everyday and this is only their warm up. Is the mighty really such a pathetic weakling?" He growled at the boy.

Sasuke held his tongue, lest it be lopped off. _'I'll find a way to get you...I'll make you beg at my feet while have your woman...'_

When it came time to go home, Chouji and Shikamaru insisted that they walk Ino home in light of Sasuke's disturbing comment earlier. Neji had already taken off for the day, leaving Tenten alone. Ichigo scowled at that, so he walked her home himself and advised her to lock her door and windows, and set some traps by them just in case. On top of that, he would come by to escort her to training in the morning and that he would be having a talk with Neji about this.

_**ICHIRAKU RAMEN STAND 1736 HRS**_

Ichigo stopped in at Ichiraku's to meet up with Hitomi and the kids for dinner. After 5 minutes of waiting, they arrived at the stand with Lee in tow. As they ordered their meals, the two impromptu sensei traded tales of the day they had.

"Well, Kurenai and Gai have pretty well mannered teams. I can imagine Kurenai instilling respect into her genin, though. I remember how she was when she was younger, always very reserved and quiet. I remember that Iruka always had a crush on her and Anko during their times in class." She giggled in remembrance.

Ichigo sighed. "I wish I had that much fun. Team 10 and that Tenten girl were okay. It was funny to see Ino beating the crap out of her two teammates, too. I really liked Tenten's drive and spunk. Neji had the personality of a wet mop, but that Uchiha kid is really pissing me off..." He told her as he informed her of the disturbing comment he made.

Hitomi seethed in rage over what was said. "As if I'd ever let that little bastard touch me. I'd sooner remove that stain on the village's honor than let him near me." She snarled.

After he calmed his lover down, she told him about the bout between Sakura and Hinata. "Wow...I guess she needed some closure after all." He muttered.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, since she couldn't have Naruto, she wanted to test Sakura to see if she was worthy of him. I guess she made the cut." He chuckled.

After their food was eaten and stories told, they all went their seperate ways and went home for the night.

_A/N: As I said before, I could have gone the easy was and had Ichigo stomp the village flat, but I didn't. Overcoming this obstacale as a family will only make them that much stronger and able to deal with things far more easily in the future._

_Also, I hope that you liked the small rivalry between Hinata and Sakura. Hinata took the honorable route and stepped aside without a big fuss, which speaks very highly of her maturity. The whole showdown thing was to test Sakura, to see how much she had grown and to help her overcome her trauma. _

_As for Sakura, what Sasuke did to her had the opposite effect from what was intended. He wanted to break her spirit, force her to carry his seed so that she would be forcefully bound to him, and drive her and Naruto apart. Instead, her resolve and spirit became stronger, Tenten stopped him before he could finish all the way, Naruto loves her now more than ever, going as far as to propose marriage to her when they come of age._

_I know that some of you out there would have wanted Sasuke's head lopped off, but he needs to live, for now. He will learn what true revenge is all about, all in due time._


	12. An Angel's Call to Honor

_**Hey there. In this chapter, Hinata runs into some serious family troubles. But remember back a few chapters and see that she is being watched over and it will yield some interesting results. The whole rape incident that happened will be taking a back seat for now and will now focus on the small Uzumaki family growing a little more. Sometimes, the closest families aren't tied by blood, but at the heart and soul.**_

_**HOKAGE'S OFFICE JULY 1st 1800 HRS.**_

One full month had passed by very quickly and it saw the return of the four sensei. Hitomi and Ichigo had filled them in on the happenings during the month and what they trained their teams on. Kakashi was told of Sasuke's suspicious and disturbing comments and behaivor and the one-eyed nin promised that he would look into it.

Sarutobi was less than amused with the behaivor of the Uchiha, but what reall concerned him was the mounting situation between Hinata Hyuuga and her father, Hiashi. It seemed that he took her training in a different art as an insult to his clan's teachings rather than him trying to help he grow and succeed.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Over a week ago, Elder Koharu had accidentally let slip that the Uzumaki's carried a very potent bloodline within them. What it was rumored to consist of was superhuman stamina and chakra reserves, and healing so rapid that it bordered on regeneration._

_Families ands clan that didn't know about the two already being taken had all tried to send young ladies to try and charm the pair into courtship. The most persistent of them all was none other than the Hyuuga. Hiashi, the clan head, thought that the supposed Uzumaki traits in a Hyuuga would make them nearly unstoppable in combat and would stop at nothing to get his hads on either Uzumaki. Several Hyuuga maidens from Hanabi's age up to 25 years of age after them, but all were shot down._

_The move that really made Ichigo angry was when Hiashi tried to get Hinata to marry him. This really pissed him off for several reasons : First, she was a student and it wouldn't be right. Second, he was already quite happy and content with Hitomi and noting on this earth could convince him otherwise. Third, he saw her almost as a daughter and cared for her as such. This was also coupled with the fact that Hinata saw him as more of a father figure than her real one, one who encouraged her and didn't belittle her._

_Hinata, in a show of courage, flat out refused her father in his attempts to marry her off, but it cost her dearly. That night, he took her into the Main House dojo and beat her severely, citing his reasons as 're-training' his daughter in the ways of the clan. She came to training with Hitomi the next morning with a massive bruise on her left cheek and many more on her arms. Her hair was unkempt and she was walking with an obvious limp. Upon closer inspection, Hitomi found that her eyes were bloodshot, had dried blood from her nose and on her lips, and the bruise on her face was consistent with being backhanded VERY hard, possibly chakra boosted._

_Naruto got a good look at Hinata and became very angry. He may not have any romantic feelings for her, but she had almost became one of the family, like a little sister to him and her was very fond of her in that fashion. He felt himself getting more and more enraged as he began to unconsciously pull on the Kyuubi's power, making him glow a dark, crimson red._

_Kyu noticed the pull and set to work on calming him down. __**"Naruto-chan, you have to calm yourself. Using my power to exact revenge won't help her."**__ She told him sternly._

_He was further enticed to calm down when Hitomi put a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto-chan, I need you be remain calm. She needs you, all of you. Hokage-sama, Ichigo-kun, and I will deal with this." She told him as she ordered them all to stay put while she Shunshin'd off to find Ichigo._

_She found him with his teams on the way to the mission hall and whispered what had happened into his ear. His eyes wide wide for a moment, then they narrowed as he began to radiate with Ki, scaring everyone within range._

_Ino managed to collect herself and walked over to her temporary sensei. "S-Sensei? What's wrong?" She asked in a scared tone. The last time she saw him that angry, he nearly sliced off Sasuke's head and turn his body into compost._

_"All of you...go home. Training is over for today." He ordered them with barely maintained calm._

_They all began to protest and ask what was going on, but they were trying his already frayed patience. _

_"I SAID GO!!!" He snapped at them as he and Hitomi flickered away._

_Back at the bridge, Ichigo ran up to her and did his own once over of her injuries. After a few moments, he fell dead silence and pulled the girl to his chest protectively, smoothing her hair in a comforting manner. _

_"Don't worry, Hina-chan. I won't let him hurt you anymore." He told her in a quiet, waivering voice while letting out a small tear. _

_He released her gently and stormed off in a hurry. Hitomi was beginning to become alarmed by his behaivor. "Where are you going?" She asked._

_He stopped and without turning around he answered her. "To Hyuuga Manor." He growled out as he continued on his way._

_Hitomi knew then and there what might happen, so she told the teams to go home. Naruto and Sakura wanted to go with them, but Hitomi ordered them to wait at her house until they got back. After they left the bridge, Hitomi loaded Hinata onto her back and took off after the enraged blond._

_He arrived at Hyuuga manner very quickly amd stalked up to the gate guards. "I wish to speak with Hiashi Hyuuga regarding his daughter's well being." He told them in a low, dark tone that promised a very nasty demise._

_They stood their ground and barred him from entering. "Lord Hiashi is not currently taking visitors right now. Begone, outsider. Do not taint our grounds with your filth." The guard sneered at him._

_He knew they were going to say that and was actually waiting for it. He closed his eyes for a moment and began to activate his Nano-state for a brief moment as he concentraited his Ki squarely on the two guards. _

_"I don't think you heard me correctly. This wasn't a request, now MOVE." He ordered them in a dangerously clam voice that was packed to the gills with malice. The two guards nearly lost control of their bodily functions, but aloowed him and his party to enter._

_Hinata directed them to her father's study, the scene of many of her worst memories of her father. She refused to face him, as she was terrified of him, so he confronted him in her stead._

_Hiashi noticed them entering his office and narrowed his eyes at them in disgust. "What do you pieces of garbage want?" He growled at them while fixing them with a Ki laden glare._

_Ichigo was nowhere near impressed and simply shrugged it off. "Hinata Hyuuga came to team training with wounds, which she informs us that you gave her. She told us that you said you were 'training' her, but this is too much." He stated with an air of authority._

_"What I do with my daughter is of no concern of yours. I demand that you leave here at once and take your pink haired whore with you, but you will leave Hinata here. She needs to be disciplined for bringing such revolting trash to taint our grounds."_

_"What the hell is your problem? She is your CHILD. A parent is supposed to love and protect their little ones!" He shot back._

_"Again, what I did to and with her does not concern you. She must learn our clan art in its purest form, not this...trash that you decided to teach her." Hiashi sneered._

_"It's not trash, you arrogant bastard! I was helping her find and exercise her strengths, more than you've ever done! If something wasn't done soon, she would have died on her first major mission!"_

_"It is better that she dies out there than bringing shame upon our illustrious name. Better to make herself useful that way if she can't even entice men with her body."_

_Ichigo's blood froze, then began to flash boil. __**"You cold hearted monster..."**__ He growled in a demonic sounding voice before calming himself._

_"Fine. If this is how the 'elite' Hyuuga will act, I challenge you to a duel. One on one, Taijutsu only. Your Jyuuken in permitted. If you defeat me, I will be the Hyuuga clan's slave for the rest of my days. If you lose, I will continue to train her unopposed and your clan will not harm her or her sister in any way ever again."_

_Hiashi thought on the terms of the duel. He knew that he was strong, but was confident that if he could end the fight with one solid blow to the heart, he could easily win._

_"Fine, I accept the terms of this fight. One week from now at the Chuunin Exam Stadium at noon."_

_The tense standoff ended when Ichigo wisked from the room and took Hitomi and Hinata out of the compound. Hitomi had her concerns and voiced them. _

_"I-Ichigo-kun...Was that wise? I know how powerful you are, but I...I don't want to lose you." She told him as she buried her face into his vest._

_Hinata was also very upset. "I-Ichigo-sensei, please...don't do it...I can't lose you, too..." She sobbed into his side as she clutched him with all of her might._

_He scooped the crying girl into his arms and consoled her. "Don't worry. I will NOT let him win. I promised you that I won't let him hurt you anymore and I will keep that promise." He told her softly as he let her cry herself to sleep. _

_He gently carried her bridal style and leapt off to the apartment, letting her sleep in his bed. Hitomi watched the whole thing and knew that he was definately father material, wishing that he were Sakura's father. She bade him goodnight with a kiss and left for home._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

Sarutobi pinched his nose as he felt a headache coming on. News of the duel had spread like wildfire and betting pools were already set up. It was the talk of the town and was eagerly awaited.

"Was it really nessessary to do that?" He asked exasperatedly.

"With all due respect Hokage-sama, it was. I couldn't just stand by and let that monster that pretends to be a parent get away with this. His actions could quite possibly get her teammates or herself killed one day. On a more personal note, that scumbag doesn't deserve to be referred to as a father. The way he and the clan treat her is nothing short of appaling and disgusting, similar to Naruto's treatment in the village." He told the old Hokage, his eyes narrowing at the end.

The aging shinobi once again sighed as he puffed on his pipe while closing his eyes. "Promise me one thing."

"What would that be?"

"WIN. I cannot have the most powerful Jounin I've ever seen bowing to the demands of the Hyuuga. If you lose, who will protect Naruto?"

"I know what you mean. Make no mistake, I WILL win, Hokage-sama." The young blond vowed with unwavering faith.

"I have faith in you, my boy." He smiled lightly.

With that, the meeting was adjourned and all of the people concerned began to file out. Kurenai stopped him on his way out the office doors.

"Thank you...Thank you for doing what I couldn't." She told him gratefully.

He waved her off. "Don't worry about it. She is very important to me, too. I will fight my hardest for her, like I would for Naruto." He replied as he flickered away.

_**UZUMAKI APARTMENT 2130 HRS.**_

By the time he arrived back at the apartment, it was dead silent and he could hear Naruto snoring in his room, dead to the world. He had been out for most of the day trying to find a larger house that was on the market. He had been saving all of his money from when he sold his technology to the R&D Division and this recent A-Rank mission and his share of the four bounties that he and Hitomi brought in. He found Hinata curled up on the couch, sleeping fitfully. He smiled gently as he picked her up carefully and tucked her into his own bed to sleep comfortably.

She squirmed slightly in her sleep, but still stayed out like a light. He brushed her bangs away from her forehead as he gave it a light kiss. "Goodnight, Hime-chan. Sweet dreams." He told her softly as he went to crash on the couch himself.

_**JULY 7th CHUNNIN EXAM STADIUM 1200 HRS.**_

It was a bright, sunny summer day in Konoha, not a single cloud in the sky with a very pleasant breeze flowing through the village. You would think that a massive battle was going to happen on such a nice day.

Over half of the village piled into the arena to see what most were calling the fight of a lifetime. Vendors came out to hawk their wares and food, betting pools were in full swing. All that was missing was the merchendise that usually followed such events. It wasn't everyday that civilians got to see two high-level shinobi fight using only Taijutsu.

Ichigo was down on the arena floor with Naruto, Hitomi, and Hinata, making his final preperations and stretches. He wore his usual uniform and gear, minus his short blades, which he handed to Naruto for safe keeping.

"Hey, aniki. You sure about this?" Naruto asked.

The taller blond smirked and ruffled his hair. "Oh faint of heart! Hast thou no faith in me?" He mock pouted to tease the boy.

Naruto chuckled and punched his arm. "Quit foolin', aniki." He laughed.

"Careful there, tiger. I still need that arm later." He joked.

"Seriously, Icchan. Be careful out there. He is a true master of Jyuuken. It's suicide for anyone else to take him on with Taijutsu only, but I have faith in you." Hitomi told him as she kissed him for good luck.

Hinata didn't say anything but the look on her face said everything he needed to hear. _'Please...Please win.'_

As Hitomi, Naruto, and Hinata leapt back into the stands, Hiashi was in the opposite corner of the arena. He too wore the standard Jounin uniform and headband around his forehead. He gave the Hyuuga Council, all of whom were in attendance to see Hiashi deal with this upstart, a smug grin as he paced toward the center.

Asuma was the appointed referee for the match and he took the task gleefully. He knew what Ichigo was capable of and knew that Hiashi was in for a world of pain that would make the most sick and twisted freak cringe. He paced up to the two fighters and got between them

"This match is Taijutsu only. The match with end on my signal, knock out, admission of defeat, or death. Fighters ready?" He announced, getting nods from the two combatants.

"Ready...FIGHT!!!!" Asuma roared out as he retreated to a safe distance.

Hiashi wasted no words or time, intending to end the match quickly with a fatal Jyuuken strike aimed at the heart. What he didn't expect was for Ichigo to anticipate this tactic, spinning to Hiashi's outboard side while lifting his right leg high and then sent it screaming down for a devastating heel drop that caused the Hyuuga leader to leave a small crater where he kissed the deck. Ichigo had dealt with the Hyuuga style enough to know that outright blocking any attacks was in short very stupid, so he resorted to deflecting and dodging as his defenses.

"So, cheap tricks from a commoner's style. Most befitting of a low born fool." Hiashi grunted as he struggled to his feet, trying to upset and fluster him.

Ichigo knew that Hiashi trying to bait him and just smirked. "Well, y'know...This 'lowborn fool' with a 'commoner's style' is currently kicking your ass right now, Hiashi-baka." He taunted right back.

Hiashi felt his wounded pride howl in pain as he lept in with another series of Jyuuken strikes, each one meant to kill. The tall blond bobbed, weaved and dodge in a very graceful and fluid manner that Hinata recognised from her lessons with the man.

_'That's...the Ryuusui! Sensei is using Tai Chi to fight my father!!'_ The pale-eyed girl thought excitedly. She was watching the fight very closely, studying his movements to use in future practice sessions.

Ichigo noticed that Hiashi's fast and furious pace was beginning to wane and decided to make his move. He parried one of Hiashi's thrusts and put him off balance for a second. Next, he grabbed his right wrist and wenched it with a vice like grip, snapping it and making it useless. Then, he lifted the arm out of the way and landed four lightning fast blows to the man's sternum and face. To finish it off, while he kept hold of Hiashi's now useless arm, his right fist came down with an overhand right and then he kicked straight up with his right leg, sending the prideful Hyuuga leader sailing in a high arc, landing in a heap over 20 feet away _**(If you've ever played Rival Schools on the PS One, you'd recognize the move he just used)**_.

As he lowered his leg, he felt the Ki from the Hyuuga clan council directed at him, but paid it no heed. He simply walked over to where Hiashi was struggling to stand, but failing and falling face down in the dirt. The Hyuuga head gave him a scathing glare sa he tried to come up with an insult, but his blond opponent beat him to it.

"It would be wise to remember one thing. There is a distinct difference between a father and a Clan Head, but somehow you can't tell that with how you've treated your daughters, especially Hinata. She is a very sweet, kind-hearted, and hard-working young lady that her sensei and I are VERY proud of. I only wish that if I ever have children someday, that they will be something like her." He stated honestly with a hint of finality in his voice.

"What should you care, you low-born trash? We are a noble and elite clan who only expect perfection, not weaklings that like that girl who is shamefully of my blood." Hiashi spat out in a snarl.

"I care because I love her as if she were my own daughter. I know that your wife died some years ago, but this does not give you the right to take it out on your children like a coward!! You should have had the courage to stand up to your council on the issue of your own family! Your responsibilities as a father and as a man should always take precedence above all else!! In just the few months that I've known her, I've been more of a father to her than you ever have, so get so high and mighty with me, you asshole!!" Ichigo roared in retort.

Hinata felt her heart soar when she heard him admit that he cared for her so much. "I love you, too...Ichigo-otousan..." She whispered quietly as a few tears of happiness rolled down her face.

"Just like you bastard Uzumaki's...never knowing your place. Just like your foregin whore of a mother and that little monster of a brother...I thought we were rid of the last of you when SHE died, but it looks like we missed a couple." Hiashi sneered with malice too low for the crowd to hear.

"First off, if you EVER talk about our mother and my brother that way, I'll leave you as a cripple for the rest of your life because death is too good for pieces of shit like you. If you ever threaten them again, I'll make you beg for death when I'm done with you." He growled as he picked up Hiashi by his vest and belted him with enough raw force to embed the defeated leader into the sidewall of the stadium.

"I really pity you, Hiashi. For all of the power, authority, and wealth that you possess, you are only a sad, spiteful, and pitiful excuse of a man. Farewell, and trouble us no more." He stated stoically.

Asuma jumped down to inspect the damage done and check on Hiashi. Seeing that he was unconscious, he turned to announce the winner. "The winner...ICHIGO UZUMAKI!!!" The bearded Jounin announced proudly as the person in question looked up with a proud smile as his 'family' rushed down to see him, trapping him with a many armed embrace.

He knelt down to Hinata's height to talk to her. "He won't hurt you or your sister anymore, Hime-chan. That much I can promise you." He told her softly with a smile to match.

The young Hyuuga girl stood in silence for a moment, making no movements except for breathing. Suddenly, her face scrunched up and she launched herself into his chest, crying and sobbing happily so much that he could barely make out the soft "Thank you." that she choked out.

As they rejoiced, the Hyuuga council landed near the downed Hiashi and were attempting to revive him. They all glared at the small family with barely contained hate, but little Hanabi looked sad and was longing for the sense of family that her sister was feeling at that moment.

The head of the Hyuuga elders strode up to the small group with a look of smug superiority in his visage. "Hinata, you are hereby excommunicated from the Hyuuga clan. We strip you of your name and home and are never again to be allowed back onto clan grounds." He stated imperiously.

Hinata was beginning to burst into tears. "I...I c-can't go home? Where will I go?" She cried until Ichigo held her again.

"Don't worry. You can come live with me. I don't mind at all." He told the young ex-Hyuuga heiress, comsoling her. Her sobs lightened as she nodded into his chest, showing that she heard him.

They Hyuuga council was outraged that someone took her in so quickly and it prompted them to take the banishment a step further. "You are also to be branded with the Curse Seal, to show your shame to the world." He told the girl as he advanced on her.

Before anything else could be said or done, Sarutobi appeared in a puff of smoke in the arena. "No, you won't. As per the conditions of the duel agreed upon by both parties stipulates that should Ichigo Uzumaki be victorious, no harm shall befall her by Hyuuga hands. This includes the Curse Seal. Furthermore, you have already excommunicated her from the clan and cut all ties to her and in so doing, you forfeited any authority you once had over her." He dictated with an air of authority befitting a man of his station and position.

Upon hearing this, Ichigo was hit by inspiration. "Hokage-sama, with your permission, I would like to take up guardianship of Hinata. I would be more than happy to welcome her into my family." He requested of Sarutobi respectfully.

Hinata looked at the tall man with eyes wide in disbelief. "Y-You really...want me?" She asked him honestly.

"Of course I do. I'd be lying if I said otherwise, Hina-chan." He replied palyfully.

The scene almost made the old Hokage tear up. Almost. He still had to maintain a professional veneer, after all. "Permission granted, Jounin Uzumaki. She will be added to your family register by the day's end." He commanded with a smile.

Ichigo turned to her with a wide grin. "You hear that, Hina-chan? You're one of us now. You're an Uzumaki, my family." He told her proudly.

Naruto stood by his brother and added his own two cents. "I always wondered what a little sister would be like if I had one. Now I'll get to find out!" He chriped happily.

Hinata couldn't believe her good fortune in having people around her that cared for her so greatly. She simply embraced the pair that opened their home and hearts to her taking her in as one of their own.

The Hyuuga council sneered at the tender scene and marched away in a huff. Hanabi stuck around a little longer, desperately wishing that she was there, too. She longed to be able to express her feelings so freely like they did.

"Please...take me with you..." She whispered as the elders called for her to leave with them.

Kurenai had vaulted down to the arena floor to check on her student and hugged Ichigo tightly. "Thank you for what you have done for her. She will no longer have to live in fear of her clan or of that monster that called itself her father. I've been trying to help her ever since I met her, but I was powerless to do anything about it." She told him sadly.

He simply waved her off. "Don't worry about it, Kurenai. She is very special to me, as well. I couldn't stand to see her suffer under that monster any longer. I had no parents myself, but I know what kind of parent I want to be."

Kurenai nodded her head approvingly. _'I hope that Asuma will be the same way when the time comes to start a family. Hitomi is a very lucky woman and Hinata is equally fortunate that she has such a powerful Guardian Angel watching over her.'_

Ichigo sighed and took a deep breath. "I wanted to tell you all sooner, but I found us a new house. It's near the forests and the training grounds, two-storied with five rooms and three baths and a large backyard that connects to the forest. I've already closed escrow on it and we can move in later this week." He beamed, telling them the good news.

Hitomi, Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, and the rest of their friends all picked up and left the stadium, bound for Ichiraku's to celebrate their victory.

_**4 MONTHS LATER UZUMAKI RESIDENCE NOVEMBER 7th**_

Ichigo woke up in a groggy haze to the delightful aroma of breakfast being prepared down in the kitchen below. He smacked his lips hungrily as he slowly put on his Jounin uniform and made his way to the kitchen. Upon entering, he found that Hinata was cooking up breakfast, bobbing to a happy tune she was humming and looked extremely happy with herself.

The tall blond that she loved so much walked up behind her and gave her a quick peck on her cheek. "Good morning, Hina-chan!" He greeted her brightly.

Naturally, the gesture made her blush brightly, but she widened her smile even more. She truly loved him with all of her heart as family. She had seen the lengths that he would go to for her protection and it won the tall blond a very special place in her heart, one he would hold for the rest of her life.

"Good morning, Ichigo-otousan!" She replied. If you heard it from her nowadays, he WAS her father in all but blood. Many thought him to be far too young for such responsiblity, but honestly. He was 21 as of September 11th, and a full Jounin with many missions under his belt in a short time, as well. He was plenty responsible enough to be the Uzumaki patriarche.

A scuffling could be heard from upstairs that was getting closer to them. Down the stairs, came the other blond she care so much for. He sniffed the air with a groan of contentment. "Mmmm...Smells great, Hinata-chan!" He exclaimed gleefully as he gave her a tight hug.

Naruto was once the object of her affections and romantic love. But ever since Sakura and Naruto got together and then when they began to live together, her love for him changed into that of a much loved sibling, her big brother. Yes indeed, much had changed in the last 4 months.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Since coming to live with him, Hinata was now being trained by Ichigo, along side Naruto and Sakura mostly. Under his care and guidance, the timid and downtrodden girl she used to be blossomed into a confident, capable and stout-hearted young woman. Her kind and caring nature was retained due to how openly her new family showed how they felt. The way the two blonds wore their hearts on the sleeves encouraged her to do the same._

_He had been training her in tha art of Tai Chi Quan for some time now and the girl was rapidly proving to be a natural at it, incorporating the Jyuuken style into it to make a Taijutsu style that was completely her own. Ichigo also found another snag in her training. When he tested her affinity, she turned out to be a Water type. Almost all Hyuuga were Earth types, which accounted for some of her difficulties in learning Jyuuken. He took it upon himself to teach her some Suiton jutsu along with a surprize Raiton jutsu as a back up. _

_As a tactical example, he had Naruto spar with him and flooded the area using multiple Suiton jutsu. He then jumped into a tree, threw a kunai with a metal wire attached to it and cast a strong Raiton jutsu through the wire and into the water. Naruto and Hinata were puzzled as to why he did this, but Naruto got a somewhat painful education in basic science. The metal wire conducted the electricity of the jutsu, carrying it down to the puddle, in which the electric charge spread out and zapped him. To say that Hinata was impressed was an understatement._

_The change in her demeanor had also caught the attention of many boys and young men in the village, who all sought to charm the young ex- Hyuuga, now Uzumaki princess, but all fell victim to a pair of highly protective blonds. Hinata didn't really mind them being chased away due to the fact that she found them all severely lacking on many counts. The worst thing that they could do was insult her new family, which happened too many times to count. She loved them dearly and made no bones about defending them against any detractors, no matter who they were._

_The Uzumaki name was starting to become a little more accepted in the village, but only a little. 90% of the civilain population and 15% of the shinobi population still snubbed and hated them and what they stood for. Hinata was also a victim of this, as she was black listed from many places that were either Hyuuga owned or catered directly to them._

_Hanabi wasn't taking the loss of her sister very well. The young girl was constantly distracted during her lessons at home and at the Acadmey, or at any given time of the day, really. She just couldn't foregt how happy Hinata seemed these days as compared to when she lived in the Hyuuga compound. She longed to be able to show her emotions as freely, to be free period, like Hinata was. _

_The little Hyuuga girl wondered if she would ever find anyone that would fight for her just like that nice blond man did for her sister. A part of her young mind that had yet to be touched by the Hyuuga mentality saw Ichigo as an angel who came from heaven to protect Hinata and all those like her._

_One day, she snuck out of the compound and went to go look for her sister in the village. By sheer luck, she ran into none other than Ichigo himself, who told her that she was welcome to visit any time that she wished and was even given directions to do so. This bit of good news left the knee-high Hyuuga girl overjoyed as she hugged his leg (Because she's too short for anything else and he's freaking tall, around 6'4'') and ran off to find her sister._

_She went to the Uzumaki house first, only to find that everyone was out for the day. She then turned her sights on the training grounds, since she knew that Hinata was on a team. She finally trudged into Training Ground #8, where Team 8 was currently training. They all saw the small girl and it put them on edge, thinking that she had come to deliever some kind of edict from Hianta's former clan. Kurenai had Shino and Kiba keep back and let Hinata deal with it on her own._

_Hanabi nervously made her way over to where Hinata was standing, who arched an eyebrow but gave her sister her undivided attention._

_"Nee-san..." She stammered out nervously._

_"Hanabi-chan, what brings you here?" The older girl asked with interest._

_"I...I..." Hanabi stammered until she found her voice again._

_"I...I missed, you Nee-san. I missed you so much..." She whimpered, then threw herself into her sister's embrace as she cried with happiness. She had always adored her little sister, and it showed in the fact that she refused to harm her for sparring purposes. Hinata returned the embrace while stroking her long brown hair in a comforting manner, much like her mother used to do for her when she was Hanabi's age._

_"I know. I missed you, too." Hinata replied._

_"I love you, Hinata-oneechan."_

_"I love you too, imouto-chan."_

_Team 8 stood off to the side of the training field, taking in what had just happened. Kurenai had a sad smile. She knew full well how much Hinata cared for her little sister. She knew that if the clan had their way, Hinata and Hanabi would never see each other again._

_Kiba know that while Hinata may have been exiled from her pack, a much better one took her in and claimed her as one of their own. He always heard his mother and elder sister speak about the Uzumaki's with praise, saying that they instictively knew what it meant to be a pack and to watch each others backs. He knew for himself that Hinata wouldn't break ties with her littermate for anything in the world._

_Shino's thoughts on the matter were a bit of a mystery, but one thing was certain. Hinata was a teammate that he trusted with his life and who trusted him in the same manner. He knew that he would do anything to help out a teammate in trouble._

_The two sisters broke their embrace and came to a mutual understanding. Hinata told her that she would never stop being her big sister. From that day forward, Hanabi was a regular visitor at the Uzumaki household. She had gotten to meet Naruto in person and even developed a small crush on the blue-eyed genin, much to everyone else's amusement. They all thought that it was almost unbearably cute when the half-pint Hyuuga girl would go nuclear red and hide behind Hinata whenever he smiled at her._

_On another note, Ichigo and Hitomi were doing just fine. In fact, they were even closer than before and went out on frequent dates, at least as frequent as their duties would allow. Many were supportive of their relationship, especially the shinobi council (Minus the Hyuuga, of course), their friends, even Elder Koharu and the Hokage himself! They were all making bets as to how long it would take for them to tie the knot, especially Tsume and Koharu, who saw the lanky blond as a nephew and grandson respectively, and they were chomping at the bit waiting for that wedding day and going nuts over wedding plans._

_Anko and Rin had become literal members of the family, being the 'Big Sisters' and all. They were also helping out with Hinata and Rin was even beginning to teach her Medical Jutsu, as she wanted to become a medic, but her original father wouldn't allow it, citing that it would stain the honor of the Hyuuga clan to have a healer in their ranks._

_Birthdays came and went, as well. Ichigo's came first, on September 11th. Hinata went all out and made all of his favorite foods from the small wooden box that he always kept in the kitchen. She had discovered the box when she first moved in and found many interesting recipies that she couldn't wait to try out. The recipe for 'pizza' she took as a personal challenge and finally perfected it on his birthday, making a very large batch, even for the ravenous appetites that both blonds possessed. The pizza was a massive hit for all of the party goers._

_Next was Naruto's birthday, October 10th. It was usually a very dngerous day for Naruto, but with Ichigo around now, he had nothing to worry about. Hinata had been a literal Dr. Frankenstein in the kitchen during her off hours, experimenting with a recipe that Ichigo had called Lasangna. After many trial and error runs, she managed to pull it off for his birthday as her gift to him. The vertically challanged blond fell in love with the new dish, putting it on almost the same pedistal as ramen and kissed her on the cheek in front of everyone. Everyone else seemed to think so as well, espeially Shino. His reaction to tasting the pasta dish was nothing short of hilarious as he continued to state the virtues of the dish throughout the night. Little Hanabi actually worked up the nerve to give her blond crush an innocent kiss on his cheek, but passed out in a former Hinata-like fashion ritght afterwards._

_Naruto and Sakura were still going strong, but they did hit a small snag. When Hinata moved in with Naruto, she secretly feared that Hinata would try to steal Naruto away from her. She voiced her concerns, but Naruto was always assuring her that she was his sister in all but blood and things would stay that way. She did get openly jealous when she saw him give her a hug and the lasangna incident didn't help any, so she went to confront the girl about it. _

_Hinata didn't want Naruto to get into trouble over her, so she spoke honestly. She told the pinkette that the romantic feelings she had for him were gone and that they were replaced with that of a sister's love for her brother._

_Sakura gave a sigh of relief when she was told that by the girl herself, but also felt very stupid inside. She had questioned Naruto's loyalty to her so easily and she hated herself for it. She silently vowed to make it up to him somehow._

_As for Sasuke, his behaivor had grown more and more erratic and reclusive with every passing day. Outside of team meetings and training, he would disappear into the Uchiha district and wouldn't be seen until the next meeting. At night, however, he had been out stalking Sakura and who he considered his new 'prey', Ino Hinata, and Tenten. He was already planning on finishing what he started with Sakura, but those plans were on hold, as he was out of the village on a mission at the moment and Kakashi was watching him like a hawk, waiting for him to slip up._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

After breakfast was over and done with, the recently dubbed Uzumaki Trio all left for their tasks and duties for the day, Hinata and Naruto to meet with their teams and Ichigo to go on see the Hokage about a patrol mission that came in.

_A/N: Chapter 12 now up. I can't believe that I started this story on a whim and that it stretched this far. The Hinata beating and challange ideas came from S'TarKan's fic Team 8 and a Ranma 1/2 crossover fic called Ranma of the Shishin. That bastard Hiashi had it coming to him and now little Hinata Hyuuga is now Hinata Uzumaki and looks to Ichigo as her father in place of her biological one. This chapter mainly focused on her growing attachment to Ichigo and Naruto in a familial way. This sort of thing does happen out there and it's really very sad. To a girl, from what I've been told by several, a father is a very important figure in her life and can either make or break her. Hinata is one of the lucky ones who found a person willing to fight for her. _


	13. Team Gai On The Move

___Hey y'all! I know that it's been a little while since I updated, but I've been really busy with work and I'm trying to find a good job for when I get out of the military. I'm torn between working with Boeing as a Tech Rep at either China Lake or in Texas, or with a military contractor called Aecom as an Aircraft Corrosion Control Specialist. I was also getting my motorcycle license again, my M1. I just recently sold my old heap for a small 1976 Honda CBR 400, better known as the Rebel, and got a decent deal on it for only 800 bucks! I used to ride a similar bike back in High School, a 1987 Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster, as my ride, so I'm pretty used to it. _

_Getting on to the subject of the fic, we now find ourselves at the infamous Wave Mission Arc. There has been so many tellings of this mission that it's nigh impossible to do anything truly original with it, so bear with me here. In this chapter, other discoveries will be made and a hero will once again stand tall and answer the call of duty without fear or reservation. I'll let you all enjoy this new chapter now._

_**TRAINING GROUND #23 0730 HRS**_

Naruto had already met up with Sakura halfway to the meeting spot and the two made it there just shortly before Lee did. Together, Team Gai did their warm-up stretches and awaited the arrival of their sensei.

A few moments later, Gai arrived in a blast of smoke, but was a little different. This time, instead of his usual speech, he was dead serious. "Today, we have something a little different, my youthful students. As may already know, Team 7 has left on a C-Rank mission as of last week. It seems that they have run into some trouble that they couldn't handle themselves and have requested that back-up be sent. Our team will be going to Wave Country on a B-Rank mission to bail them out, so go and get ready to leave. We depart from the Main Gate in two hours. Team dismissed!" Gai ordered as he left to go prepare to depart himself.

Lee stood up and stretched out slightly. "Naruto-kun, Sakura-san! I will meet you by the gates!" He called out to his teammates be fore he took off at full tilt into the village. The two just chuckled at his usual enthusiasm and went to make their own preperations. Sakura went home to tell her mother and get her gear, and Naruto made a Kage Bunshin to go find Ichigo while he went to find Hinata.

Finding Hinata was easy, as she was with her team over in Training Ground #8 nearby. He asked her where Ichigo was at, but she told him that he was currently on a patrol mission and wouldn't be Home until later that night. Before he could turn to leave, she gave him a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Kiba, who was watching nearby, started to get incredibly jealous, until he heard her call him "Nii-san".

"Nii-san, please be safe and come back to us." She told him as he left.

Naruto turned to her and smiled. "No worries, Imouto-chan! We'll be just fine!" He called out cheerily as he left to grab his gear.

_**EN ROUTE TO WAVE COUNTRY 0930 HRS**_

Team Gai assembled at the Main Gates of the village at the appointed time and from there they decided to get the mission underway immeadiately. They decided to take the trip a rapid clip without their weights on in order to reach their comrades in time before anything else went wrong with the mission.

As much as Sakura's endurance had improved, she was still the first to tire out and needed a break. She still did good for being on a team full of stamina freaks. They had made some good time thus far, so Gai had no qualms with it. During their small rest, Naruto walked up to Lee and got his attention, pulling him off to the side. Lee noted the serious look on his friend's face and complied without a word, walking just out of ear shot.

"Lee, you know that Sasuke's gonna be out there on Team 7, right?" He asked, getting right to the point.

At the mention of the name, Lee scowled and glared in to the distance. "Yes, I realize that, Naruto-kun." He replied.

"Good. That rat bastard might try to go something again when the sensei's aren't looking or aren't there. We have to look out for Sakura-chan, and help Neji with Tenten if we can. Tenten helped us, so there's no way I'll let that bastard get to her if I can help it." Naruto informed his teammate.

Now, it was a little known fact outside of the team that Lee harbored a major crush on his former kunoichi teammate. News that she is now a target for that raving lunatic Uchiha grabbed at his attention.

"I'll kill him first." Lee vowed, popping his knuckles while clenching his fists.

Naruto nodded in response as Gai called out that it was time to get going again. "Whatever happens Lee, I've got your back." Naruto assured his teammate.

Lee nodded and grinned at the reassurance as the team picked up and got moving again towards Wave Country.

_**WAVE COUNTRY 1837 HRS**_

It had taken only a fraction of the time it took Team 7 with their client to reach Tazuna's residence for Team Gai to finally arrive. Kakashi certainly looked worse for wear when Gai looked him over. According to Tenten's prognosis, since she studied up on first aid a bit, he had a heavy case of chakra exhaustion and a few cracked ribs. Nothing too serious, but he would be out of action for at least a week. Neji had a few minor lacerations, but nothing else. Sasuke had a sprained wrist, dislocated shoulder and a couple of bruised ribs. Tenten herself was relativley unscathed due to the fact that she was able to keep her attackers at a distance, but was somewhat exhausted from the effort.

After being given the rundown of the injuries sustained, Gai set his team to work on patrolling the perimeter of the house while he got the whole story from Kakashi.

The copy-nin sat up with some assistance from Tsunami, Taznua's daughter, and began to fill the bushy-browed Jounin in on what was going on.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Team 7 had left the borders of Konoha behind them an hour ago when Kakashi noticed a very strange sight. He spotted a puddle of water on the ground just off to the side of the road, but when he looked up, the sky was clear and it hadn't rained in weeks. On top of that, there was no trail leading to or away from the puddle to indicate a source and they hadn't seen a soul in hours. _

_Suddenly, two shinobi wearing Mist headbands, wearing breathers and wielding a chain-like weapon that was connected by their gauntlets came screaming out of the puddle and wrapped their chain around Kakashi. With a sharp tug, the chain seemed to shred Team 7's sensei to pieces, momentarily stunning the team. The two then set their sights on Tazuna, but the team was ready for them as Neji fired up his Byakugan while Tenten released a hailstorm of kunai and shuriken to pin down the chain, making it useless._

_Knowing that their primary weapon had been nutrilized, they disengaged the chain in favor of using their taloned gauntlets. This however, proved to been a near fatal mistake. As the first nin closed in on Neji, he attempted to swipe at him with his claws that were coated with a caustic poison, but the white-eyed youth quickly and ruthlessly shut him down using the Rokujuyonsho._

_Sasuke dealt with his opponent in a brutal manner, using ninja wire to tangle him up and then pummeled him into oblivion. When the fighting died down, Kakashi revealed himself to the team._

_"Good work, all of you." He praised them, then turned to the client who was shifting guiltily._

_"I believe that you wish to tell us something, Tazuna-san." He told the old man in an expectant tone._

_Tazuna caved in and told them what was really going on. "It's Gatou. He's almost completely taken over our country and made my town into his base of operations. He's been stealing and taking everything that isn't nailed down and much worse. His men have been attacking traders and merchants coming in, making them pay massive tolls in money and goods. On top of that, they have been taking women and children and selling them off as slaves and some for pleasure."_

_Kakashi's eyes widened slightly. "Gatou of Gatou Inc.? He's one of the most wealthy people in the world and with his money, he can hire any nuke-nin he wants. Just these two were bad enough. They're known as the Demon Brothers, C-Rank missing nin from Kiri. Just them being here makes this mission a B-Rank as best." He explained to Tazuna as he asked his team what they wanted to do._

_Sasuke wanted to keep going. He wanted a greater challenge so that he would finally unlock his Sharingan. Neji also wanted to test himself against tougher opponents. He thought that the Demon Brothers were absolutley pathetic and that he needed a better challenge to test his skills against. Tenten wasn't sure that it was such a good idea to keep going, but deep down she wanted to prove that she was just as capable in combat as her male teammates, so she agreed to continue as well._

_They proceeded along their way to Wave until they ran into a thick, un-natural mist. It turned out that the mist was caused by one Zabuza Momochi, an A-Rank missing nin also from Kiri, who was known as the Demon of the Bloody Mist as well as an Ex-ANBU Captain. With only his Ki, he brought the genin to their knees with Sasuke a hair away from killing himself to end it until Kakashi cut him off. Kakashi told them to stay out of the fight while he took on Zabuza himself. _

_The two former ANBU Captains clashed over the life of Tazuna, both using every trick in theirs playbooks. Kakashi brought out his Sharingan early in hopes of finishing the fight before the missing-nin could drag his genin into the fight. Zabuza had created a score of Mizu Bunshin to confront the youngsters, but they all proved to be no slouches in combat as they were keeping them at bay. Slowly though, they were wearing down and sustained their injuries._

_In a moment of distraction, Zabuza gained the upper hand and trapped him in the Suiro no Jutsu, Water Prison. It was then that Tenten had an idea to free Kakashi and that was by doing what she did best, causing chaos through conflagration and a hailstorm of weapons. This was something the former Kiri nin didn't really expect and had no defense other than to disengage the Water Prison to save himself a world of hurt. As he danced in and out of the sea of projectiles, Kakashi snuck in behind him and held him at kunai point, ending the fight. _

_However, before anyone could even blink, a trio of senbon struck Zabuza in the neck, making him keel over in a lifeless slump. A Kiri Oinin jumped down and expressed his gratitude for weakening Zabuza for him as he shouldered the missing nin and used a Mizu Shunshin to flicker out of the area. _

_As the Hunter left, Kakashi was at his limit and keeled over from exhaustion. Tazuna told the remaining team members that his house wasn't too far away and that he would gladly carry their down and out sensei there. The three nodded and followed him to the house where they awaited back up._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

Gai rubbed his temples at Kakashi's account as he took in all that happened to Team 7. _'I've heard of this Zabuza and he's a very dangerous shinobi. On top of that, it sounds like he's still alive. That Hunter-nin was supposed to dispose of the body on the spot, but he took of with it him instead, so he might be Zabuza's accomplice. This is bad...'_ He surmised. As he voiced these concerns to his fellow sensei.

"I agree with you, Gai. Those kids need training and quick. I'll take my old team and you can take yours, for old times sake. I'll watch Sasuke like a hawk, though. I still haven't and will never forget about or forgive what he did to Sakura." He assured his bowl cut colleage.

Meanwhile, Tenten met up with Team Gai and caught up on what was going on. She was relating to them all that has occured over the past few days since they arrived in Wave. She told them that Sasuke was still acting strangely and kept glaring at her intensly, but he wouldn't do anything since she tended to stay close to Neji or Kakashi the entire time, although Neji was less than enthusiastic about having her hang around him, using him as a deterrent.

Lee was clenching his fists during her enitre explaination. _'That jerk Neji just doesn't get it...Ten-chan likes him and is looking to him for protection, but he sees it as a nuisance! I would protect her with my life...' _He thought furiously.

Naruto noticed his friends subtle, but clearly angered reaction to Tenten's story, but her story also confirmed that Sasuke was still a lurking threat that would need to be dealt with sooner or later.

The time came for training and the teams split into the groups that the sensei agreed upon. The old Team Gai and Team 7 were put back together temporarily. Gai took his students out to a nearby clearing in the forest lining Tazuna's home for some Taijutsu training and Kakashi chose to take his group into the trees a bit.

Once they reached their spot Kakashi halted them and explained what would be going on in his exercise. "Today, I'm going to show you how to climb trees." He said with his customary eye-smile.

Naruto and Sakura just gave each other a grin, as they already knew that one, but were going to let Kakashi finish his explaination.

Sasuke, of course, merely scoffed at the seemingly easy exercise. "This is useless. Even the dobe can handle this much. Just give me a jutsu to work on and let these two dead weights try this out." He sneered.

Kakashi's grin only increased. "Is that so?" He retorted as he climbed up the tree, without his hands. It seemed like he was sticking to the tree using his chakra. He finished walking up to a thick branch and stood there looking down at them.

"Can you do this, then?" He asked Sasuke cheekily. _'Naruto rubbed off on me without even being around...The kid has his old man's charisma, that's for sure.'_ He thought fondly.

Sasuke snarled in anger at being made a fool of, which wasn't hard. Without really thinking about it first, he tried to channel chakra into his feet and run up the tree, but got blasted off from using too much. His trial and error process went on for twenty minutes until Kakashi realized that his other two students weren't there. Suddenly two kunai struck the dirt at his feet and made him look up to see that they were already at the top, waving down at him.

"Oi! Kaka-sensei! We already know this one!" Naruto yelled down as he and Sakura lept down to the ground, leaving a small crater upon impact.

Kakashi sweatdropped for a moment. _'How much weight did you have them training with, Gai?'_ He wondered as they walked over to him.

"Okay then...What are you currently working on now?" He asked them.

"Well, I'd like to work on some Genjutsu, but Ichigo-sensei and Gai-sensei don't really know any. Naruto-kun is still working on sparring with his clones on top of the water." Sakura told their old sensei.

Kakashi cupped his chin for a moment as he thought of something that could help them. Suddenly, it hit him. He wasn't known as the man of a thousand jutsu for nothing. "Sakura, I believe that I have some Genjutsu that you could learn. If you and Naruto could follow me over to the edge of the lake, I'll begin to show you." He instructed them as he turned to Sasuke.

"Sasuke, keep going on this exercise until you master it." He told the Uchiha as he walked away.

"Kakashi! Get back here! How dare you turn your back to me, an Uchiha? Teach me what you're going to teach them!" The raven haired Uchiha demanded angrily, believing that he was being slighted.

"I won't repeat myself. They have mastered this already. You have not." The copy nin replied in a cold, dark voice that was laden with Ki. That burst put to rest any argument he had with the decision as the cycloptic sensei led his remaining two students away.

Near the lake edge, Naruto made a large batch of Kage Bunshin and began his customary battle royale on top of the water as Sakura was taking instruction from Kakashi in the ways of Genjutsu. "Now, what Genjutsu really are is a chakra construct of your design that is linked to your opponents chakra network, making them see and believe what you want them to as long as the jutsu is active and working. If you try to use a weak Genjutsu on someone like Ichigo, what would happen?" He asked her.

Sakura thought back to when Ichigo was going through his exam and Kurenai-sensei was casting multiple Genjutsu on him, most of them completely ineffective. She also remembered that he had an inhumanly massive supply of chakra and power which dwarfed her's many times over. The answer came to her.

"It's because he's both very powerful and he has a strong will with which to resist the Genjutsu, right?"

"Very good, Sakura. His chakra and sheer power disrupted her weaker Genjutsu before they could even take root. That is because the weaker the jutsu, the less chakra it requires and less complex is it. The most advanced Genjutsu can actually kill the target without touching them, but those require a true master of the art of wield them effectively, like Kurenai. They require near perfect control, along with decent reserves of chakra. Now, I will start by teaching you a D-Rank Genjutsu and see how you progress from there." He told her as he showed her the handseals.

Nearby, Sasuke had quit trying to scale the tree and was currently stalking Sakura, who he was waiting to be left on her own. He was aching to finish what he started months ago, due to the fact that his little stunt didn't have the desired effect. He wanted her broken and bent to his will, but instead, it made her and the dobe fall in love even more deeply, now the two were rumored to have actually vowed to marry when they came of age. To him, it's not that he WANTS her in the companionship sense, it's all about control. In his eyes, his fangirls were just that, his. When she and Ino cut away from the flock, he took it as a personal insult, one that he would rectify by any means neccessary.

Kakashi felt Sasuke's chakra signature very close to them, within 15 yard. _'What does he think he's doing?'_ The Jounin thought as he slipped away, seemingly moving towards Naruto. In an instant, the silver-haired shinobi vanished into thin air, making Sasuke wonder where he went. After a few moments passed, he decided to get bold and come out of hiding, not knowing that Kakashi was still hiding nearby.

"Hello, Sakura." He drawled out with a sickening smirk that made Sakura's skin crawl.

"What do you want, teme?" She asked him with obvious disgust in her voice.

"Oh, I was just thinking that we didn't really get to finish last time, and about how I don't like leaving things half done." He leered at her while advancing on her.

Kakashi had seen enough of this and was about to jump in until a pink tinged blur nearly took the Uchiha's head off. The next thing he saw was Sakura standing in the spot where Sasuke was, her fist extended with a fierce scowl on her face. Following her glare, he saw Sasuke slumped against a tree, his arm bent at a funny angle due to how he impacted and writhing in pain.

"I will never allow you to touch me with you filthy hands ever again. I'm not the weak little fangirl that used to fawn over you anymore nor am I your toy. I've outgrown you and found someone worthy to share my life with. He is everything I could ever want and much more, everything that you will never be or could even begin to comprehend. If you so much as breathe near me, I will kill you myself and make your clan truly extinct." She snarled coldly, her normally soft emerald eyes hardened with rage and hate as she stormed off to where Naruto was training.

Kakashi was still listening nearby and was both stunned and proud of how his former student handled the situation, like the true kunoichi he knew she could be. She had come a long way from where she started off at, a mere fangirl who hid behind the Uchiha. He walked over to where Sasuke lay, still in good amounts of pain from his impromptu and violent introduction to the tree.

"Sasuke. Remember this. She in no way belongs to you, nor does she owe you anything except animosity over what you did to her. Your actions have just proven that you cannot be trusted alone anymore and you will be watched constantly and if should you try this again, I WILL have you executed in the field. Am I CLEAR?" The copy nin demanded of the insolent boy.

Sasuke snarled at him angrily and was about to retort with his usual high and mighty routine, but Kakashi would have none of it. The normally laid back Kakashi hit him with a blast of Ki that was on the same level as Zabuza's was, making him cower in fear as the one eyed nin grabbed him roughly by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him back to Tazuna's house.

Nightfall came, as did dinner time. Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter, had whipped up a sumptuous supper for the group of shinobi and kunoichi who had come to aid their people. She had gotten to know Naruto and Sakura a bit and could clearly see that they were in love.

_'It's so sweet to see young ones in love like they seem to be...'_ The midnight haired woman sighed mentally as she served up dinner. During the course of dinner, Inari, Tazuna's grandson and Tsunami's son, had leveled the whole group with a glower that rivaled Sasuke's. After supper, he slammed his hands on the table angrily.

"How the hell can you two be so care free like that? Gatou's gonna kill us all, don't you get it? He'll just kill you and make the girls his slaves, just like everyone else!" He bellowed, pointing at Naruto and Sakura in particular.

"He won't let him do as he pleases anymore. We're not afraid of him and neither should you." Naruto told him with barely maintained calm.

"What the hell would you know? You came from the big village and never had to deal with any kind of hardships before! You don't know what it's like..." He cried out until he was cut off by a sharp pulse of Ki from the young blond.

"I don't know what it's like to suffer, huh? Tell me something, does nearly getting beaten to death on your birthday every year count? Never being able to eat properly and being left to starve in said wealthy village due to people chasing me out? How about being kicked out of the orphanage at 5 years old and living on the streets? Yeah, what would I know? Stupid, spoiled me, huh?" Naruto growled out as he rose from the table and left the dining room, leaving the room's occupants in shock, save Gai and Kakashi. Sakura quickly followed him out to help him calm down.

Tenten was the first to find her voice. "K-Kakashi-sensei, was that all true? What Naruto told us?" She asked him in a quiet voice.

Before he could answer, Sasuke scoffed. "Serves the dobe right for being such a loser." He sneered before being silenced by his sensei with a gloved hand around his throat.

"You know NOTHING, Sasuke. I have personally some of the things that happened to him and what he told you was only the beginning of his hellish life, and don't forget that your clan had a hand in what happened. He has been through things that would have broken even me a long time ago, but he never gave up hope." He snarled at Sasuke before regarding Tenten in a much more gentle manner.

"To answer your question, Tenten, yes. Unfortunately it is true. All of it." He answered her remorsefully.

Neji looked down at the table, a blank look on his face before he left the table quietly. Lee wore a troubled look until he asked a question.

"Gai-sensei, what could have possibly made the village hate someone as youthful as Naruto-kun?" He asked with obvious confusion and distress.

Gai took a deep breath before answering. "That is an S-Rank secret that only the Hokage or Naruto-kun himself can tell you. Anyone who knows and it's discovered that they spilled the secret, the penalty is death, regardless of rank or standing."

Sasuke smirked at that. He knew the secret, but got away with blabbing due to the fact that the people who heard him all knew about the fox anyway and because the council protected him from the consequences.

Deep in the forest, Naruto was in the middle of a heated sparring session with his clones when Sakura arrived in the clearing he was training in. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the clones were all henged into Sasuke and different people who hurt him over the years, and saw that he was using the most savage and brutal moves that Muay Thai had to offer, many of them fatal.

Once the wholesale slaughter died down, Sakura approached the heavily panting blond slowly.

"Naruto-kun? Are you alright?" She called out to him, startling him slightly, but he didn't answer, still too upset from earlier. She got closer to him , guided him over to the base of a tree and had him sit down next to her with her arm around him.

"Did what he said bother you and remind you of when you were little?" She asked him softly.

"Yeah...yeah it did. It just that...He sounded like the teme does, always whining the everybody had it better, that they suffered more than everyone else and how everyone whould pity them. It just made me sick. I mean I had it worse than they did and there might be people out there who had it even worse than me, but I never whined about it." He told her.

Sakura nodded her head in agreement. During all the years she knew him, he never let anything bother him and came right back with that goofy smile. When she found out the truth about his life, her respect for him went through the roof at how he was able to deal with all of that pain and suffering, becoming stronger for it instead of wallowing in self pity.

"You don't have to worry about those days anymore. I'm here, so I'll take away all of those bad memories so that we can enjoy what we have." She told him gently as she embraced him tightly. Naruto could feel his anger draining away from him due to her touch, and soon drifted off to sleep.

Sakura noticed a light snoring coming from Naruto and she noticed that he had conked out and was fast asleep. She chuckled softly to herself, kissed his cheek and drifted off to sleep herself, clinging to the one she loved.

_**THE NEXT MORNING - NOVEMBER 8TH 0731 HRS**_

The young couple awoke to the sound of someone nearby, picking some of the herbs that grew in the area. Naruto groaned happily until the sunlight hit his eyes. He slowly let his vision get adjusted and looked at the girl he gave his heart to. "Morning, Sakura-chan." He greeted her sleepily.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun. Sleep well?" She asked him.

"Yeah. I feel great." He replied while standing up and stretching his arms.

"Oh my, did I startle you?" A soft voice asked. They looked around for the owner of said voice and found a young woman with long dark hair and doe brown eyes, dressed in a pink kimono.

"Oh no, we were waking up as it was, anyway." Naruto assured her before introducing himself.

"By the way, name's Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki. This is my girlfriend, Sakura Haruno."

The young woman smiled serenely. "My name is Haku. You two must be very much in love to have been sleeping so soundly in each other's company. Are you two shinobi by any chance?"

Sakura spoke up next. "Yes we are, Haku-san. You seem to picking all medicinal herbs. Is somebody sick?"

"Oh. This is for a person that is very special to me, my precious person. He was injured badly and needs me to care for him. I take it that she is your precious person?" She asked them.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah...More that you know." He said, looking at his pink haired companion.

Haku giggled. "You must feel very lucky, Sakura-san. He really likes you."

Sakura responed by giving of a radiant smile and taking hold of Naruto's arm while nodding.

The three of them stayed in that clearing, talking about this and that until Haku stood up and brushed off her kimono, gathering up her basket of herbs. "I'm afraid that I must go now. I was nice talking to you two, Naruto-san, Sakura-san." Haku told the kindly as she began to walk away before she turned around again.

"Oh and by the way, I'm a boy." 'He' told them as he walked off, leaving behind a stunned Naruto and Sakura.

"What the hell just happened?" Naruto asked.

"I don't really know. I doubt I ever will." She replied as they made their way back to Tazuna's place, shock still firmly in place.

_**T**_**A**_**ZUNA'S HOUSE - ONE WEEK LATER - NOVEMBER 15TH 0811 HRS**_

The next week passed by without incident, or at least as much could be expected from this particular group. Training progressed smoothly for the two teams as they honed their skills in order to face Zabuza again.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_The was a noticeable tension in the air with Kakashi's original team, though. Sakura had told Naruto about what Sasuke was trying to do and he nearly went ballistic. He was stopped by Sakura herself when she told him about how she handled the situation. After that, he couldn't stop laughing as he pictured the sight of Sasuke laying in a crumpled and brusied heap. It went without saying that he was very proud of how she handled herself._

_Training with the old Team Gai had a bit of tension, as well. Neji still treated Lee as he did before, but Lee was far stronger than he used to be with the help of Naruto and Sakura, not to mention Ichigo. Thanks to the towering blond, he and Gai had two new fighting styles in their arsenal, Muay Thai and Capoeira. The latter became somewhat of a specialty for Lee, as he really got into it. One day, when Ichigo was a bit early to their agreed upon training session, Lee spied him doing a wierd sort of dance along with the music he was using to teach the style._

_He asked what he was doing and Ichigo replied that it was once called breakdancing, a dance style the incorporated moves from Capoeira. Lee decided that it looked like a lot of fun, so he gave it a shot and found that the movements came to him naturally, with him experimenting with different moves that were in the Goken style and combining the two to make something that was completely of his own design. Ichigo told him that the only limits to what he could do with this style were his imagination, something that truly inspired the bowl cut boy._

_The more that Neji doubted and belittled his skill and ability in Tajutsu, the more it fueled Lee's desire to prove himself not only to his rival, but to his secret crush, Tenten. Finally, Neji grew tired of his challenges and lashed up verbally. He told Lee that a dead last like himself was a perfect fit for another dead last on a team and hopefully he wouldn't be saddled with him for much longer. He added on final comment that went too far, that if Naruto wasn't such a dead last, then his woman wouldn't have been raped._

_Tenten heard the verbal lashing and was not too pleased with the former object of her affections. She believed that Neji was being completely unfair to Lee and his comment about what happened to Sakura was the final straw. She slapped Neji full in the face and went to find where Lee ran off to._

_When she found him, he was sitting down meditating, some thing she had never seen him do before. When she questioned him about it, she was told that both Gai-sensei and Ichigo-sensei recommended it when he needed to calm himself and that it would help him focus more sharply on things. _

_Tenten was at a complete loss. It was like her former teammate had become a different person over the last 5 months. He explained that he felt happier and filled with a sense of belonging that he didn't really feel with his old team. Naruto and Sakura made him feel welcome and practically tacked him onto their families and they did many things as a team. _

_The bun-haired kunoichi was suddenly filled with regret. She regretted that she hadn't exactly treated Lee with much respect during the full year that they were a team in favor of trying to impress Neji and hadn't really gotten to know him all that well. She looked in on herself in shame, that she was just as bad as the fangirls she hated for a time and reviled a good person like Lee because of it, just like what happend to Naruto. She knew that she could have tried harder to help Lee feel welcome, but the allure of the Hyuuga prodigy was too strong for her to ignore at the time and by the time she was coming around to accepting Lee for who he was, he was gone._

_For the rest of the day, the weapon-slinging kunoichi spent her time getting to know her former teammate and a possible best friend better. She as she talked with him and came to better understand him, she idly entertained the thought that maybe the Rookies of the Year were never all they were cracked up to be. Sasuke was proof enough of that._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

At Tazuna's house, the teams were getting ready for another day of guarding Tazuna at the bridge. Naruto and Tenten just happened to draw guard duty back at the house, watching over Tsunami and Inari. Just before they left, Naruto stopped Sakura for a second.

"Be careful, hime." He told her as he hugged her tight.

She returned the gesture with equal vigor. "I will, Naruto-kun." She replied as she kissed him on his cheek. They were snapped out of their own little world by Kakashi clearing his throat.

They turned to see him with an odd looking eyesmile, like he was smirking. "If Naruto would be so kind, the missus needs to get going." He teased them, making them sound like they were married already. With a pair of blushes and some sniggering from Lee and Gai accompanied by giggles from Tsunami and Tenten, the group got on their way.

"It's like you're married already, blondie." Tenten teased.

"I think it's really sweet how in love they are! It makes me feel your age again!" Tsunami commented, making Naruto blush a shade of red that would make a tomato scream for a lawyer before walking into the house stiffly, the two giggling females following behind and a snarking Inari following.

_**TAZUNA'S BRIDGE 0902 HRS**_

Ex-Kiri ANBU Captain, member of the feared Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, and nuke-nin Zabuza Momochi and his partner in crime Haku looked out over the bridge and his handy work. Nearly all of Tazuna's workforce was currently either dying or incapacitated. "Now, we just have to wait for the brat squad and their babysitter to show up with our target." Zabuza muttered.

Haku thought back to when he met the young couple that he was about to face in combat. _'It really is a pity. They seemed so happy with each other. I really wish I didn't have to do this...'_ The androgynous young man thought as he slid his mask on.

After a few minutes, Zabuza sensed the team approaching the bridge and activated his Kirigakure jutsu to shroud the bridge in mist and to mask their presense. This would also hide him from Kakashi's Sharingan eye, as the air is saturated with chakra and messes with its ability to see.

As they stepped onto the bridge, the entire team felt a chill run down their spines as they heard someone moan in pain. Out of the mist, one of Tazuna's workers stumbled out and fell in a bloody heap.

"W-What the hell happened here?"

"A d-demon..." Was all the man could say before he finally bled out and died.

"Ohhh, this isn't good." Kakashi murmured as he and Gai readied themselves for combat, instructing the genin to do the same. Almost on cue, a dark laugh rang out into the creepy mist. The mist slowly began to dissipate to reveal Zabuza and his accomplice.

"So...You're back Kakashi. And you brought some friends to the party. How nice of you to provide me with more entertainment." Zabuza called out tauntingly, spooking the Genin before turning to his partner.

"Haku. Kill the old man." He commanded.

"Hai, Zabuza-sama." He replied in a soft voice before he vanished in a burst of speed.

Sakura had already cast off her weights and intercepted Haku, crossing kunai with him. "Don't do this, Haku-san. This country needs this bridge built or it will die. " She asked him, pleading with him to stop.

Underneath his mask, Haku wore a remorseful look. "I am sorry, Sakura-san. I have been given an order by Zabuza-sama and I cannot disobey him." He replied sadly as he forced her back, beginning a back and forth volley of taijutsu and weapons.

Kakashi saw this and had Neji go back her up while Gai sent Lee to help her out, leaving Sasuke back to guard the client while the two sensei dealt with Zabuza. Sasuke began to argue about being left out of the battle, but was silenced by a strong burst of Ki from Gai.

"You have your orders, Sasuke. Follow them." The normally goofy Jounin commanded authoratively.

Back at Tazuna's house, Naruto and Tenten were keeping watch over the grounds when they heard the door smash in and Tsunami and Inari screaming. Their blood running cold, they rushed over to the source of the noises and found two thugs attempting to take the mother and son away.

"I bet you'll fetch a nice price on the market and you brat's execution will send a message to the people that upsetting Gatou with be met with death. Those stupid ninja on the bridge will be dead soon, so they won't be able to help you." One of them sneered, until a sword caught him off guard, impaling his throat and killing him quickly, courtesy of Tenten. His partner heard his gargled cry and turned, only to have his neck broken by Naruto in one quick move.

Inari and Tsunami looked up and saw the two shinobi who saved their lives and thanked them. Naruto, however, was troubled by the thugs last words.

"We have to get to the bridge...They need our help!" He exclaimed.

"But we have to guard Tsunami and Inari!" The bun-haired weapons girl argued.

Naruto thought for a moment, the snapped his fingers. "I got it!" He yelled as he gave himself some space and made his favorite handseal.

_**KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!**_

Naruto made over ten clones, and had them spread out. "Alright, make sure nobody gets close to this house or hurts the oldman's daughter or grandson!" He orders, getting back an in sync reply.

"Yes, sir!" They replied in complete unison as they moved to carry out their orders.

With that dliemma out of the way, Tenten and Naruto set off for the bridge in order to assist their comrades. _'Sakura-chan...hang on. I'm coming!'_ He thought as he began to pour on the speed.

Back at the bridge, Sakura was having a tough time fending off Haku, even without her weights. Her new speed could barely keepup with the effeminate boy's movements as she countered another volley of senbon with a flurry of kicks and punches of her own, which he easily evaded and blocked. When she was nearing her limit, Lee and Neji appeared to back her up, putting Haku on the defensive again while giving the pink haired girl some time to rest before she jumped back into the fight.

Hkau was now being pushed back by the combined efforts of Neji and Lee, whose blows were raining down on his defenses and were starting to wear them down. Finally, Lee connected with a solid blow and sent the ice wielding boy sailing back in a high arc before he righted himself and landed in a crouch.

"I can see that I now have to get serious..." He commented calmly while flipping through handseals.

_**HYOTON : MAKYO HYOSHOU!**_

As he called out the jutsu, the air became filled with mirrors made of ice, Haku appearing in every one of them. Just as this registered with the three Genin, they unleashed a hailstorm of needles, peppering the three of them and causing serious damage. Neji was barely standing, his arms looking like he hugged a hedgehog due to him shielding himself. Lee wasn't much better, but he was still standing and somewhat ready to fight. Sakura, however, was the worst off. She was on the ground, panting heavily as she had needles enter her legs, arms, and abdomen, her movement completely cut off and totally vulnerable.

Over where Sasuke was, he was fuming over the fact that he was left out of the battle to guard the client. As soon as he saw the rain of ice needles, he punched Tazuna in the stomach to knock him out, hid him off to the side of the bridge, and ran into the fray.

Haku noticed him running up and intercepted him. "Oh? Are you coming to save your comrades?" He asked.

Sasuke gave him a nasty smirk. "Those weaklings? If they fell to you, they aren't worth saving. Besides, I should thank you for making sure that the one with pink hair can't move. I've been meaning to make her mine and finish the job I started a few months ago." He sneered.

Haku's blood ran cold. He had a feeling as to what he was implying. "Just what do you mean by that?" He hissed.

"I meant that I nearly had her carry my seed. I made a woman out of Naruto-dobe's little girlfriend one night. Her screams for help were _soooo_ wonderful..." Sasuke replied, reveling in what he did to Sakura all those months ago. He strode over to her fallen form and began to fondle her despite the protests that her weakened voice croaked out.

Haku felt pure anger well up inside of him. What the Uchiha boy had just described was truly monsterous and evil. Not even Zabuza would do such a thing to a woman, but this boy's heart was truly dark and hideous. Haku himself abhored such behavior.

"Back away from her. NOW." He growled. Sakura may have been a enemy, but he'd never allow such a thing to happen before his eyes without doing something about it.

Suddenly a booming voice roared out from the end of the bridge, filled to the brim with rage and fury. _**"SASUKE!"**_ Naruto roared in primal fury as he launched himself at his opponent, crashing THROUGH one of the mirrors to do so.

Sasuke was barely able to dodge the first blow, which left a small crater where it impacted. He leveled Naruto with a sickening smirk before taunting him. "Hey dobe, I was just about to give her what you never could, a good time in the sack. She tastes real good, dobe."

Naruto stood stock still, a deafening silence reigning over their portion of the battlefield. Naruto felt Kyu begin to talk to him.

_**"I know how you feel about her, Kit. You know what you must do."**_ The Fox demoness told him as she relenquished control over a small portion of her chakra over to her host. Naruto felt the power flow through him like fire and let it explode in a storm of crimson light.

Haku never felt so frightened before in his entire life as he was right now. He had heard of people like Naruto, but had never dealt with one personally. "Dear God...A jinchuuriki..." He muttered before backpeddleing in fear.

Neji and Lee were stunned with both awe and sheer terror. Naruto, when he was calm, was one of the kindest people Lee knew and had a huge heart. He was hard put to compare the kind boy he knew with this enraged demon that was now before them. Neji had heard of Naruto, but never dealt with him personally. He heard that he was the dead last of his class and a weakling, but this was vastly different. The sheer rage and bloodlust that permiated the air was turning his stomach.

Sakura was watching the one she loved begin to lose himself to his anger, her eyes wet with tears as she tried to move toward him. "N-naruto...Don't do it..." She gasped for air as she tried to stand up.

Tenten arrived just behind Naruto, panting heavily due to the grueling pace set by her blond companion. She had seen what Sasuke was about to attempt and was gearing up to turn the arrogant ass into a human pincushion, when she felt the same crimson chakra from the night Sakura was raped erupt from Naruto again.

Sasuke was hit with the full impact of a Kyuubi-powered blow to his ribs that broke two of them and threw him back a few yards. Before he could even move again, Naruto was standing over him again, his demonic red eyes boreing into him. As the Ki reached its peak, Sasuke felt something happen to his eyes and was seeing Naruto's chakra move about. He had unlocked his Sharingan.

Before he could celebrate it, it was lights out. Naruto drove his fist into the Uchiha's face and knocked him out cold, turning to Haku next. _**"You...Sakura-chan and I trusted you...I thought we could be friends!" **_Naruto snarled as he bore down on Haku until a voice called out to him.

"Naruto...kun...We're alright..." He heard Sakura croak out hoarsely as she stumbled over to him, being assisted by an equally wobbly Lee.

_**"Sakura**_-chan..." He breathed out as the dark and vicious chakra left him. He immeadiately ran over to check on his friends and his loved one.

Haku let out the breath he was holding in, relieved that he wasn't next on the hit list. He had heard that fighting an enraged jinchuuriki was like throwing your life away. Suddenly, he heard a sickening crack coming from where Zabuza was fighting the two Jounin.

Gai had lept into the air while Zabuza was still stunned from a blow made by Kakashi and hit the browless nuke-nin with a powerful spinning kick to his left arm, making the bone snap. As he spun away from the blow, he steadied himself with his sword.

_'Damn...Kakashi was bad enough, but this other wierdo is insanely fast and strong! I can't hold out much longer...'_He thought in a panic as he started to fish for ideas.

At the other end of the bridge, clapping rang out. A short, piggish man dressed in a business suit hold a cane and with one arm in a cast. "So, the feared Demon of the Mist is no match for a bunch of children and their babysitters." Gatou sneered as he had his army of thugs and mercs flood the bridge.

Zabuza glared at the assembled mass of hired swords and the man who brought them. "I told you that I'd handle this, Gatou. Don't get in my way." He snarled at his employer.

"I don't think so. These mercenaries are far cheaper than missing ninja, and plus your head will be worth quite a bundle once I turn it over to the Mizukage for your bounty." Gatou told him in a sickly smooth voice.

Zabuza's eyes narrowed. "You never intended on paying us...I should have killed you earlier."

"That's a very funny joke... I still have many plans for this country, women to whore out, dissidents to kill and extort, children to sell. I think that these two fine young kunoichi will fetch a nice price on the market, after I've broken them in that is. I do love the feel of a virgin...KILL THEM ALL!" Gatou roared at his lackeys, who bum rushed the group of tired ninjas.

"It seems we no longer have a quarrel with you or your teams, Konoha-nin. The old man is safe from me." The ex-Kiri shinobi told the teams as he and Haku made their stand against the flood of mercs.

"I'm sorry Naruto-san, Sakura-san, that things turned out like this. I want to say thank you for being my friends, if only for a short while." Haku told them sadly while forming handseals for a Hyoton jutsu which rained icy death on a group of mercs.

Naruto stood off to the side of the battle, watching it play out. Haku, in the end, was still their friend. He couldn't let him throw his life away like this. To top it all off, this little pig-man had threatened to take away and rape not only his love, but also one of his best friends. His mission was clear, Gatou must die and his mercs with him.

Of all the Genin, he and Tenten were the only two still capable of combat, leaping into the fray. Naruto with his clones and Fuuton jutsu and Tenten with her weapons, helping Zabuza, Haku, and the two Jounin sensei by cleaving a path towards the pig-like dictator who all but killed Wave Country.

For minutes that seemed like hours, the fighting raged. Naruto once again fought like a man possessed, slaying any thug that came into range be it by jutsu, weapons, or his bare hands. Finally, a small band of his clones along with himself, broke through Gatou's thugs and finally ended his reign of terror once and for all by driving a kunai up to the ring, into his brain.

"So no one else has to suffer under you, ever again." The sunny blond muttered coldly.

As they watched the evil little man fall, the mercs were all at once greatly angered that their meal ticket was now gone, and terrified of the shinobi that were proving to be more than they could handle. Quickly, they decided to cut their losses and head for the village to ransack it for anything of value before they made their escape, but that plan died a quick and horrible death when a crossbow bolt struck a merc in between the eyes. They all looked to where the shot came from and saw Inari holding the bow, with a small army of villagers arms with pick-axes, pitchforks, makeshift spears, cleavers, anything that could be used as a weapon.

"Get out of here! Gatou's not in charge here anymore! We won't take your abuse anymore!" Inari shouted, the rest of the villagers roaring in agreement.

The last of their resolve broken, the gang of thugs and ruffians made a mad dash for the outlying forests that lead out of Wave Country, screaming for their lives.

The ninja and the villagers all cheered as they had finally set Wave free from Gatou's tyrrany and had made sure that he would never return to darken their lands ever again. For Haku, his celebration was short lived as he spied Zabuza's condition. The browless nuke-nin had sustained several mortal wounds at various locations around his chest and back and was fading quickly.

"H-Haku...I'm sorry...for not giving you a better life...than one on the run. Over time, I saw you...like the son I never had. I just...want you to live...a peaceful life from now on." He told the boy sadly as his time ran out. Zabuza Momochi, the feared Kijin no Kiri, had died.

Haku was distraught. He and Zabuza had aided Gatou in doing much harm to this small country, so he felt that it was only proper to help make everything right again. He felt that he should atone for all that he had failed to stop Gatou's men from doing. His first order of business was to fix the damage that he inflicted on Naruto's friend's and his girlfriend.

With the needles out, Neji, Lee, and Sakura felt better almost immeadiately and were up and walking around. Sakura found her way over to where Naruto was still standing, bloody kunai still in his hand from slaying Gatou.

"I'm sorry. I lost control again, but I...I couldn't let him or the Teme do that to you again. I'd rather die than let them hurt you." He told her, his voice cracking.

"It's okay...I know that you did this to protect me. He was an evil man, Naruto-kun, and the world is a better place without him. You avenged the deaths of everyone he unjustly killed and prevented him from doing the same to many more. You're a hero, Naruto-kun, but I already knew that." She told him softly and gently as she held him.

Naruto smiled. Since they started going out, she always knew how to console him or calm him down. He truly loved this about her. She was the girl that he rescued from those bullies years ago, who gave him her heart and gave him his first true embrace from a girl his age.

Once he was calmed down, they rejoined the others and a revived Tazuna in their celebration. Sasuke had woken up and had complained to Kakashi about what Naruto did to him. The way he put it, Naruto went crazy and started attacking him and that he had sided with the enemy. However, his story was shot down by Tenten, Lee, Sakura, and surprizingly Haku, who painted an entirely different picture and told the truth of what the Uchiha tried to do to a weakened Sakura.

Haku was thanked by the sensei and Naruto for coming to Sakura's aide and were now deciding on a fitting punishment for Sasuke once they returned to the village.

_**ONE WEEK LATER - NOVERMBER 23RD**_

Teams 7 and Gai were preparing for their journey back to Konoha as they recieved a warm send off from the population for Wave Country and Tazuna's village. Neji, Naruto, and even Lee were swamped by girls who wanted a piece of the heroes that saved their land and freed them from Gatou. Sakura only had to 'warn' one fangirl before the rest of them backed off of her man. Neji was used to avoiding fangirls, but poor Lee looked like they mauled him, but instead of bruises there were kiss marks all over his face and he never once mentioned anything about youth. He just whistled and grinned widely. He never attracted much female attention back home, but here, he was like an Adonis.

_'I could really come to like it here...'_ He thought. Tenten, however, was getting jealous but she couldn't figure out why until it hit her.

_'Do I really like Lee?'_ She wondered to herself. She had in fact found herself becoming somewhat attracted to her former teammate more and more in the past couple of weeks as she learned more about him and how much he had changed.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had been tied up in the basement of Tazuna's house due to his actions on the bridge and was to be put on trial as soon as they returned to the village. Kakashi had finally had enough of the spoiled Uchiha's selfishness and attitude and he stalker-like behavior wasn't helping his case, either. He had sent word ahead to Konoha to inform them of the details and just before they were to head out, they got a reply back from the council saying that Sasuke was to be released and no charges would be filed against him, all in the best interests of the village, they claimed. The copy-nin grudgingly cut him loose, but kept an even closer watch on him, not letting him leave his sight for a moment.

_A/N: End. I've had a bit of a rough time writing this chapter, as I didn't really know how I wanted the meeting with Haku to go and how they would meet and even if Haku would be a girl or not. I decided in the end that Haku would be a boy, but would have a strong set of morals, as demonstrated when Sasuke began to act like a real creep. It speaks highly of a person's honor to defend even an enemy from injustice like he did for Sakura. I hope that you all liked this chapter, that I have continued to live up to your expectations. I will tell you all one thing about my next chapter...The Uzumaki will grow once again and another special surprize!_


	14. New Family

_**NOVEMBER 15TH 2050 HRS. 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THE CHUNNIN EXAMS**_

_**RUINS OF TSUKIGAKURE, BORDERS OF KAMINARI AND TSUCHI NO KUNI**_

His first solo S-rank mission, that's what this was supposed to be...

_**FLASHBACK - 2 DAYS AGO - HOKAGE'S OFFICE**_

_"Ichigo-kun, good to see you." Sarutobi greeted. _

_ "Good to see you too, Hokage-sama. Now, I believe you have a mission for me?" Ichigo replied._

_ "Yes, I do. I'm sorry that this is right before the chuunin exams and I know that you want to support Naruto, Sakura, and the others you've taught, but this is urgent. The leader of Tsukigakure has sent out a desperate cry for help. They want some additional aid to bolster their defenses before Oto attacks them. I cannot spare any more ninja at the moment, so you will be going in solo. But given your level of strength and abilities, you will do fine." Sarutobi said reassuringly._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

Ichigo sighed. _'Bodies everywhere. Oto didn't even spare the small children.'_ He growled mentally.

He walked around, trying to search for survivors, but was coming up empty handed. After 15 minutes of searching, he felt a small group of weak chakra signatures a short distance from where he was. He ran over as fast as his legs could carry him, but wasn't prepared for what he found.

He barrelled around a corner when heard pained voice shout out, "SOMEBODY HELP ME! NO STOP!"

He saw two Oto nin on top of a girl attempting to take some liberties with her. She noticed him and screamed for Ichigo to help her. This made the two nin jump and they stabbed her in the abdomen for her outburst. Ichigo had only felt the murderous rage he was feeling now only a handful of times in his life, and each time never had a good ending for whoever made him that mad.

He gave them a glare and killing intent that could make the shinigami crap himself, before dispatching them in the most brutally efficient manners possible. The nearest one, he caved his chest in with a punch to his heart, making it explode in his chest. The second, he choked until he snapped his neck with a vice-like grip. With the violence out of the way, he knelt to examine the girl's injury.

_'Oh my god...she can't be much older than Hinata...those bastards...' _He thought with a grimace as he took off his long cloak to cover her up.

_ 'She's not gonna make it. That asshole hit a vital spot...'_ He said inwardly with a sad look on his face, as he tried to treat her wound with what Injutsu he knew. She noted the sad look on his face and stopped his treatment.

"I-I'm not g-g-going to -m-make it. I know that. Thank you f-for trying to s-save me..." She breathed out weakly. Ichigo's guilt was welling inside of him. He had seen people pass away in his arms before, but it never got any easier.

The young woman noticed that the tall shinobi that tried to save her had tears in his eyes. "I-I'm s-sorry...If I had only gotten here sooner, then this...you..." He choked out as tears began to fall from his crystal blue eyes.

The girl spoke softly to him. "T-this wasn't your fault...please...d-don't blame yourself." She said, trying to absolve his guilt as she gently touched his face.

"M-my, name i-is Michiru...Michiru K-Kikuzawa... a Chunnin of this village. W-what's yours?" She asked him.

"I'm Ichigo, Ichigo Uzumaki. A Jounin of Konoha." He relegated to her with a sad smile.

Michiru smiled gently at him. "I-I like your name, I-Ichigo-kun...I want to g-give you s-something..." She told him and asked him to lean close. He did as she asked and she kissed him on his lips.

"That was my first kiss...you saved my virginity and virtue, so I gave it to you, who deserved it." She told him. He nodded solemnly. He continued to hold her as they talked and he eased her pain. In the end, it was all he could do. Finally, the life passed from her eyes and she died.

He laid her down gently, still wrapped in his cloak, closed her eyes, and buried her with a simple Doton jutsu at the base of a still standing Sakura tree while saying a silent prayer for her soul. Ichigo shed a single tear while trembling with rage, swearing that he would destroy Oto with his bare hands one day, and end the evil that was called Orochimaru, permanently. He got up calmed down, and continued his search. As he left one would be able to spot an epitaph, carved into the tree as a grave marker.

_Here lies Michiru Kikuzawa, a faithful Kunoichi of Tsukigakure._

_May her body and soul rest in peace, _

_for all eternity._

He tensed as he sensed a chakra spike nearby. He instinctively unsheathed his twin short swords, ready to face whatever enemy nin that might still be loitering about. Suddenly, he saw 8 Oto nin chasing a old man with a large scroll across his back who was carrying a small girl. He assumed that the two were survivors and rushed into combat. With a golden blur, 2 Oto nins were rendered headless, as Ichigo got inbetween the survivors and their attackers. The enemy nins got a good look at his Hitae-ate and his face.

"Konoha's Azure Nightmare ? N-no !" The lead Oto nin stammered out.

Ichigo wasted no words in engaging them. The little girl watched in awe as their new savior made short work of their attackers. He'd be damned if he saw the same thing that happened to that girl before happen again. He flashed through some hand seals before barking out "_**FUUTON : KYO TATSUMAKI KAIMETSU!" **_

__A trio of massive tornadoes roared to life in the middle of the group of nins, ripping, slashing, and tearing them apart. As soon as the twisters died down, the torn and bloody bodies of the Oto nin crashed to earth with a sickening crunch. All nins were dead, their blood dyeing the snow red. After piling them all together and searching them for any useful supplies and intel, he went through more hand seals and barked out, "_**KATON : SHOUSHIN!"**_

With this fire jutsu, he completely incinerated the bodies as to leave no evidence. He then turned his attention to the survivors. The girl was fine, but the old man was in **really **bad shape. He had a large slash down his back that was seeping with a nasty looking purple substance.

"Poison." Ichigo mused.

"Are you the Konoha shinobi that was dispatched to aid us?" The old man asked.

"Yes. I got the mission around 36 hours ago, and rushed here as quickly as I could."

"We didn't expect Oto to attack us so soon. I fear that the little one and I are the only ones left." He wheezed.

"I do not have much time left. Please, take this girl with you to Konoha. Get her away from here. They will sell her to a brothel, into slavery or worse should they find her, just like what happened to most of the young kunoichi and women here." He pleaded with Ichigo. The little girl didn't look to be more than 5 or 6, however he couldn't help but notice her unique golden eyes.

_ 'That's strange, but beautiful.' _He thought. She also had waist-length dark purple hair and she was clutching a stuffed toy wolf.

"Okay, old man. I'll do it. I'll take her with me to Konoha." Ichigo replied solemnly.

"Good. Good lad. Now, take this with you as well. This is the wolf contract." The old man stated, handing him the large scroll.

"Wh-what? Why me? Why something this valuable?"

"Better you than those nin who did this. You strike me as a man who would willingly give his life to protect his pack from any threat. I know the Wolf Boss, Shiranui, would most definitely like you, as would her cubs." He finished.

He spent at least 2 hours teaching Ichigo how to do the _**Kuchiyose no Jutsu : Mibu**_. Finally, he succeeded in summoning Shiranui. She was easily as big as Hokage tower, but had a majestic, regal air to her.

In a booming, yet gentle voice, "_**old Rikiya, why have you summoned me this day**_?" She asked, but she looked around at all of the ruins and destruction.

"_**Wh-what has happened here? Who is this pup**_?" She snarled, baring her fangs. Ichigo leapt in front of Rikiya and the girl to defend them if he needed to.

"Please, calm yourself, Shiranui! Otogakure and the summoner of Manda did all this! This young man was sent here to aid us, but was sent too late. Also, it was he who summoned you. I allowed him to sign the Wolf Contract as a thank you for taking over protecting this girl, taking her with him to Konoha where she will be safe." He told her as he tried to explain the situation.

_**'Orochimaru...'**_Shiranui thought, growling.

Shiranui sized up Ichigo, staring into his cerulean blue eyes with her own golden eyes. He stared right back at her, never flinching from her intense gaze. She gave what looked to be a smile.

"_**Very well. I consent to you being our summoner and we will aid you in battle**_." She stated to the young blond shinobi as a second puff of smoke appeared, revealing a second, snow white wolf with vibrant blue eyes. "_**Fuyuno, why have you come, my daughter**_?" Shiranui asked, slightly exasperated.

The younger, much smaller wolf cowed slightly, chuckling bashfully. "_**Well, I wanted to see what our new summoner looks and smells like**_." She replied in a higher, more childish voice while sniffing him intently.

"_**MMM. You smell nice and warm! I like you!" **_She chimed, nuzzling him affectionately.

Ichigo was taken aback by this, but regain his composure. "Uh, thanks, Fuyuno-chan." He replied kindly, with a smile that made the young wolf blush (?).

Shiranui looked upon this with a smile. '_**My cubs are already warming up to him. Rikiya made a wise choice picking him**_.'

"_**We must go now, but know this, young Uzumaki Ichigo. That little female human holds my mate within her. Guard her well." **_She said.

"Wait a sec...you mean she's a host?" Ichigo asked.

Shiranui's eyes narrowed. "_**Hai. She has Hokuou, the Gobi. This is not a problem, is it?"**_ She asked with an edge to her voice.

"No. My brother, Naruto, has the Kyuubi no Kitsune sealed in him. I will guard and watch over her as if she were my own child. Wait, you don't think that Snake-teme knew about her and came looking for her, do you?" He asked, not really liking the intel he gleened from the dead shinobi's documents.

"_**I believe they were. I'm guessing that Rikiya hid her away, but got ambushed as he tried to flee. Fortunately, you came along and dispatched their attackers."**_

"Well, I'm going to take her with me. She will be much better protected in my village and under my care."

"_**Very well, Ichigo. We shall take our leave for now. Farewell."**_

_** "Bye-bye, Ichigo-kun." **_Fuyuno said bashfully._** "Call on me again and I'll introduce you to my twin sister, Shirayuki, and my niichan, Kurokiba. We can play then."**_

_'Did I just get hit on by a wolf summon?' _He mused, but shook off the thought.

"Good bye, Shiranui-sama, Fuyuno-chan!" Ichigo called out as they disappeared in a puff of smoke. He turned his attention back to Rikiya and the girl. Rikiya's breathing was very weak and his time was just about up.

"Ichigo-san...my...time has come..." He wheezed and he coughed up a large amount of blood.

"No! Jii-chan, don't go!" The girl cried.

"Please... take good care of her..." The old man pleaded one final time.

"Of course I will, Rikiya-sensei." Ichigo reassured him. He gave him the title of sensei because he felt it appropriate.

"Good...Thank...y...ou, Ich...igo...U..zu..maki..." He choked out as the life faded from his eyes. Ichigo closed them for him, crossed his hands over his chest, and used a small Doton jutsu to give him a proper burial. By now, the girl cried herself to sleep on his jounin vest.

He gently scooped her into his arms bridal style, and began his mad dash toward Konoha.

_**NOVEMBER 17th 0934 Hrs KONOHA MAIN GATES**_

Izumo and his longtime friend Kotetsu were on another boring shift of gate duty, or so they thought. Suddenly, bursting out of the trees, landing right in front of the two chunnins was Ichigo Uzumaki, looking like he was ready to drop from exhaustion. "Whoa, Ichigo? What happened? Are you alright?" Izumo asked worriedly as he moved to help him up.

Ichigo simply stared forward, "I need to speak with Hokage-sama, **NOW.**" He said wearily. The two chunnins, knowing how freakishly strong he gets when upset or angry, stepped aside, letting him pass with his pint-sized passenger and large scroll.

_**HOKAGE'S OFFICE 0939 Hrs**_

"Jounin Uzumaki Ichigo returning from my mission to Tsukigakure." Ichigo stated professionally.

"Enter." Ichigo did just that. Prior to posting before the Hokage, he asked if he could set the girl down in the couch.

Sarutobi grinned warmly and said, "Of course, Ichigo-kun." He loved adding the suffix on his name, like Naruto, and a few select others he held very close to his heart. He noticed the young blond set the girl down very gently and lovingly.

_'It's like he's her father'._ He chuckled mentally. "So, Ichigo-kun. Care to explain the sleeping angel in the couch?'" He said in an amused tone.

"Well Hokage-sama, she's part of my mission report..." Ichigo started. He explained his entire mission in detail. He explained the Wolf Contract, the villages' destruction prior to him arriving, and the girl's 'tenant'.

"The Gobi? Are you certain?" He asked, unnerved by the revelation.

"Yes. Shiranui confirmed it herself. The Gobi is her mate, and I'll be damned if I don't protect her, which brings me to make this request. I want to adopt her."

The girl was awake for a few moments prior to the request, but silently listened in. She had already known about Hokuou, and called him Hoku-chan affectionately, because he was always kind to her, treating her like his own cub. When she heard Ichigo make his request she sat bolt upright and bounded over to him.

"Ichigo-chan, is it true? You wanna be my new daddy?" Asked, the excited 6 year old.

"Of course. But we need to give you a name...Ah! How would you like to be Setsuna, after the silent snow fall I found you in? Setsuna Uzumaki?" He asked her with a grin.

Setsuna was stunned. She stood in silence for at least a few minutes. Then, without warning, she launched her tiny body at the crouched Ichigo, hugging him as tightly as her small arms would let her, all the while kissing him on his cheeks.

"My daddy! I have a daddy!" She cried as she continued her death grip on him.

"I'll add her to your family register immediately." Sarutobi couldn't help but smile warmly at this new and growing family. But another worry nagged at him.

_'Another jinchuurki. If the council hears of this, the poor girl will be targeted! If Danzou finds out, he'll try to turn the child into a heartless, cold, cruel weapon. I will do my part in protecting this child as Naruto should have been protected. I'll be damned if Naruto's situation arises again!'_ Sarutobi swore internally with conviction. "Ichigo, Setsuna. You must be VERY careful who you trust with this knowledge. Otherwise, this is an SS-class secret that not even the council will know about." Sarutobi warned.

Ichigo sighed, but agreed. "You've got a point there." He turned to Setsuna.

"Now Se-chan, don't tell anyone about Hoku-chan unless me or the Hokage say so, 'kay?" He asked her calmly and softly.

_**"Cub, the old man and Ichigo have a point. You can trust their judgement."**_

"'Kay, Tou-chan! You got it!" She said, snapping a small salute. _'So...damn...cute...'_ Is what both adults were thinking.

"Well, we're gonna get going now. I'm gonna explain this to the people I KNOW that we can trust. Let's go, Se-chan!" Ichigo said brightly, lifting her onto his shoulders. Then, he Shunshin'd out of the room.

Sarutobi was left to process the other bits of info on the mission. "Rikiya, where have I heard that name before?" He asked himself, but then it came to him and he froze.

"That man was the Legendary Wolf Sage! Ichigo doesn't know that HE is now the new Wolf Sage, that Rikiya passed down the title to him with that contract." But he just sighed and reasoned that he could tell him later, after he gets settled in.

_**KONOHA HOSPITAL 1056 Hrs**_

Ichigo and Setsuna landed in front of the hospital and walked inside to the reception desk. He showed his ninja I.D to the duty nurse and asked her, "can you please page Sawaguchi Rin for me?"

"Sure thing, 'hon." She replied, smiling at Setsuna. _'That little girl is sooo cute!' _She squealed internally. She then paged Rin over the hospitals intercom system.

5 minutes later, Rin came walking down a corridor. "Icchan?" She paused, but then she realised who it was. "ICCHAN!" She cried out, bounding into him, giving him a massive hug.

She calmed down enough to inquire about how his mission went, when she noticed Setsuna. "So, what's your name, sweetie?" She asked with a sweet, gentle voice and an even more gentle smile.

Setsuna blinked for a moment, but then, "I'm Setsuna Uzumaki!" She announced with obvious pride. She sounded like a mini-Naruto, which made Rin giggle. She thought about how Rin hugged him for a moment. "Uh, Rin-san, are you daddy's girlfriend?" She asked innocently.

Rin's eyes went wide, waving her hands frantically as she denied it. "Oh, no, no! If anything, he's pretty much my little brother, arencha', ICCHAN?" She teased.

Ichigo sighed in defeat. "Anko-neechan told you that, didn't she?"

Rin giggled some more. "Yep!"

Setsuna gasped at this and blurted out "You're my auntie then? COOL!"

Rin couldn't hold back her inner cuddle bug, and snatched the small girl into a massive cuddle, making Setsuna laugh and giggle as a little girl her age should. "OOOH! YOU ARE JUST TOO CUTE! THANK YOU KAMI FOR THIS CUTE LITTLE NIECE!" Rin ranted as her cuddlefest lasted another few moments.

Ichigo cleared his throat and got Rin's attention. He told her about the mission, ALL of it. She gasped," Just like Naruto-kun..." She froze up, but recollected herself. "I won't let her be treated like Naru-chan was. Not when we have a chance, not my niece." Rin said, clutching Setsuna protectively to her chest.

"This bijuu is like Kyu. He is very benevolent and kind to her and practically sees her as one of his cubs. My boss summon, the Wolf Goddess Shiranui, is his mate." Ichigo stated

Suddenly over the intercom, "_Sawaguchi Rin, please report to treatment room #5. Sawaguchi Rin to treatment room # 5."_

Rin face faulted and then pouted in an almost childish manner. "Ooh, not now! Sorry Se-chan, but Auntie Rin's gotta get back to work, but I'll see you later." She said giving Setsuna a quick peck on her forehead.

"Oh, okay! Bye, Auntie Rin!" Setsuna chirped.

_'I love that! Auntie Rin!'_ She thought as she got back to work.

Ichigo placed Setsuna on his shoulders and they walked out of the Hospital. Then it hit him : He has _NO_ idea how to raise a daughter! _'Well, I'd better go talk to Inoichi and get some pointers. Maybe Teuchi-jii, too.'_ He thought as he made for the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

_**"Cub, I like that one. She accepted you without a second thought and now claims you as part of the pack, her niece. This man will be good for you."**_

_**YAMANAKA FLOWER SHOP 1100 HRS**_

Ichigo made his way through the familar streets towards the Yamanaka Flower Shop with a giddy Setsuna riding on his shoulders.

"Yahh! Giddy yap, daddy!" She whooped. Ichigo chuckled and played along, whinnying like a horse and bucking a bit, causing her to laugh out loud.

Many of the ladies inbetween the ages of 16 to 30 walking the streets saw this and thought this : Young Jounin + Doting daddy + NO WEDDING BAND = PREMIUM MARRIAGE MATERIAL. Things definately got interesting once Koharu-sama let it slip that the Uzumaki bloodline had a powerful Kekkei Genkai: Near unfathomable chakra reserves, rapid healing and regeneration, and massive amounts of stamina. He didn't need to be reminded of the mess that was kicked up a few months ago.

He brought himself out of his thoughts just as he reached the flower shop. Setting Setsuna down, they walked inside.

"Hello! Welcome to..." Ino started, but noticed who her customer was, "I-Ichigo-sensei! You're back!" She shouted as she burst out from behind the counter to give him a hug. She noticed Setsuna standing next to him.

"So, who's this little cutie? You taking up babysitting?" She asked.

Before Ichigo could say anything, Setsuna piped up, "I'm Setsuna, Setsuna Uzumaki! Nice ta meetcha' nee-chan!"

Ino had a confused look on her face, "Did she say what I thought she said? Uzumaki?"

Ichigo sighed, "Well, it goes like this. My mission was practically a bust from the get go. The villiage was gone, destroyed before I even got there. I found her among the ruins along with an old man, about to be killed by some nin that straggled behind. I took them out, but the old man was already dying. He asked me to take her with me, so I did. I ended up becoming attached to her and so I adopted her and named her." He told them, but he left out the more sordid details, like what happened to the young girl who was nearly raped before she was killed.

"That was a very noble thing to do, Ichigo-kun. I'm very proud of you. Now I know where Naruto gets his noble, kind heart from." Shiho Yamanaka said, coming out of the house portion of the shop.

"It's good to have you back." She added as she gave him a tight hug, as if he were her family.

She turned her attention to Setsuna. "How old are you, sweetie?" She asked.

"I'm 6 years old, Auntie Shiho!" She replied brightly.

Shiho just couldn't hold herself back any more. She wrapped Setsuna up in a massive cuddle that rivaled Rin's earlier. "OOOH! IT FEELS SOOO GOOD TO HEAR THAT! AUNTIE SHIHO! WHEN IS HER BIRTHDAY, ICHIGO-KUN?" She squealed like she was a teenager again, much to her daughter's amusement.

Ichigo was dumbstruck, "I-I don't know. She doesn't either." He replied sadly, but a stroke of inspiration hit him.

"Ah! I know! How about the day I made you my daughter, November 17th, today?"

Setsuna's eyes flew wide open. She couldn't believe it. All of these wonderful things in one day. Ichigo went one step further and sweetend the deal.

"And since today is your birthday, here is your present!" He said, holding out a soft pink Lily, then he wrapped it in her hair for her.

She just couldn't hold back anymore. She launched herself into the arms of the man who made it all possible, her new father. Sobbing uncontrollably with happiness, she managed to choke out, " I-I love you, daddy! I love you so much!" She also continuously kissed him on his cheeks, until her hunger made itself known. She blushed and chuckled sheepishly.

_**"This new guardian of yours has some interesting friends, but they obviously hold him in much affection, which speaks highly of him. These two women are good people, I can feel it. You can trust them."**_

"Well, I guess I could talk to Inoichi later. Right now, we've got some urgent matters of the tummy to deal with, eh Se-chan?" Ichigo said, grinning mischeviously at Setsuna. "We'll see you around. Bye now!" He called out.

"Byebye, Auntie Shiho, Ino-neechan!" The pint-sized jinchuuriki called out as Ichigo hefted her onto his shoulders and shunshin'd toward Ichiraku's, leaving the two blond women to their thoughts.

"I know that Ichigo-kun will be a wonderful father and that little girl is going to have both him and Naruto-chan wrapped around her finger." Shiho giggled.

"I just know that she will love Naruto and Hinata just as much. And they'll adore her, I just know it." Ino added.

_**ICHIRAKU RAMEN STAND 1145 HRS**_

The father-daughter pair landed in front of the ramen stand in a blur and a cloud of kicked up dust, startling passersby. They waltzed right on in and called out. "Oi! Teuchi-jii! Ayame-chan!"

The pair turned around to find a familiar face gracing their humble stand. "ICHIGO-KUN! YOU'RE BACK!" Ayame, exclaimed, giving Ichigo a warm hug which he returned.

"Yes, It's good to see you back safely, my boy." Teuchi greeted warmly. He noticed Ichigo's pint-sized companion and got curious, but before he could explain anything, a certain snake mistress came traipsing in, her eyes locking on one of her two favorite blonds.

"Hey! Icchan! You're back!" She beamed at him while getting him in a playful headlock and a noogie. She then noticed Setsuna. "Um, otouto? Who's the gaki?"

Before anyone answered, she announced herself in a very Naruto-like manner. "I'm Setsuna Uzumaki!" She said loudly and proudly.

The other three people in the stand stood in stunned silence. Ichigo spoke up finally, explaining his mission in its entirety, knowing he could trust them with the truth. Ayame and Teuchi looked upon the girl sadly, while Anko knew what had to be done.

She looked over to Ichigo and in one of her rare moments of seriousness told him, "I'm so damn proud of you, you know that? You just saved her from suffering the same fate as Naru-kun." She said with a tear rolling down her face, giving him a chaste embrace.

Setesuna took this opportunity to ask another question. "Um, neechan, who are you?"

Anko smirked and announced herself, "I'm Anko. Anko Mitarashi, kid! I'm Jounin, like yer old man here, but he's my younger brother! "

Setsuna literally had stars in her eyes. "You're my auntie, too? And a ninja? Sugoi! You look so cool and strong!" She exclaimed.

Anko threw her head back in a gut-busting belly laugh, "HAHAHAHA! I like you, kiddo! And yer damn right I'm cool!"

_**"Cub, I like this one. She may seem crazy, but she has a good, sincere heart. Your new family is shaping up to be an interesting one."**_

Ichigo interjected for a moment. "So, neechan, you joining us for lunch or what?" He asked her with a smirk.

"Eh, why not? I got nothing better to do right now anyway. 'Sides, I wanna get to know my new niece." She said, slipping an arm over Setsuna's shoulder.

"Yo pops! Miso Ramen with some dango and sake for me!" She belted out.

"I'll have my usual, Large Beef ramen with extra Green Onion and a fried egg. How 'bout you, Se-chan?"

The girl paused for a moment to think, then answered, "I'll have the same thing daddy's having!"

Teuchi smiled at the little girl. "Comin' up, guys!" He said happily.

Moments later, the family lunch turned into a ramen eating contest between father and daughter. The score : Ichigo- 9 bowls. Setsuna - 11 bowls. Everyone stared at her in disbelief. "Geez! I didn't think she could eat so much!" Ichigo said incredulously.

Anko simply laughed. "Well, what did you expect? She's a growing girl!" She said, beaming with pride for her newest family member.

"She eats almost as much as Naruto-kun!" Ayame said, surprised.

Her father, however was estatic, _'ANOTHER ramen loving Uzumaki! I swear that family __is__ the patron saints of this business!' _ He thought, feeling really giddy.

The meals were paid for and goodbyes were said, as the new daddy walked off with his little girl riding on his shoulders. Anko smirked broadly. "She's gonna grow up REALLY interesting, especially with AUNTIE Anko around." She chuckled, relishing her new title.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 1245 HRS**_

Ichigo and Setsuna walked up to the Haruno house and knocked on the door. They waited for a moment, then decided to head home when Hitomi Haruno rounded the corner in full jounin uniform, just having returned from a mission.

She saw the tall blond that she came to know and love, and literally bolted right into him, damn near tackling him.

"ICHIGO-KUN! I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE ALRIGHT! HOKAGE-SAMA SAID YOUR MISSION GOT CRAZY AND THAT YOU WENT SOLO!" Hitomi exclaimed, but calmed down. "I was so worried that something happened to you. But, you made it back safely. You came back to me." She said softly as she gave him chaste kiss on his lips, hugging him tightly.

She felt tugging at her pants and she looked down to find a little girl, no older than 5 or 6, scowling at her. "HEY! Nobody kisses my daddy 'cept me 'less I say so!" She ended with the cutest little pout Hitomi had ever seen.

"So, is this the girl? Setsuna?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes. This is Se-chan. Say hello to Ms. Haruno, okay?" He asked, smiling.

_'Ohhh, for some reason, when he smiles like that, I can't stay mad! I guess I really love you already, don't I, daddy?'_ Setsuna thought.

_**"I can tell that you do, cub. I can tell that he deeply cares for you, as well. Besides, I feel that this female may very well be his mate."**_ Hokuou told his container.

Setsuna's eyes lit up._ 'You mean she's gonna be like my Kaa-chan?'_ She thought back through the mental link excitedly.

_**"If you want to put it that way, then I guess so."**_ Hokuou replied.

"Uh, h-hello, Ms. Haruno." She said unsteadily.

Hitomi giggled slightly. _'She is so cute. So polite, too. She also reminds me a bit of a younger Naruto-kun.'_

"Hello, sweetie. I'm sorry about that. I'll ask next time." She said sweetly, with a genuine, warm smile on her face.

Setsuna motioned for her to come in close and whispered, "I know that you love him. Hoku-chan told me. I love him so much, so please, make him happy. I can tell that he's been lonely. You don't need to ask me. " She whispered, pleadingly.

Hitomi was shocked, for the lack of a better word. '_She's so young, but she understands this so well...What a remarkable girl...'_

"You're right. I do love him. I love him so much. I don't feel, but I KNOW that I can trust him. You see, my daughter's father left us before she was born and I felt like I couldn't trust any man. Then Naruto, and later, Ichigo-kun, came into our lives. My daughter, Sakura, loves Naruto so much and I love Ichigo-kun very much. They are faithful beyond compare. Your daddy and nii-chan are two of the most wonderful people I have ever known. The Uzumaki name just seems to bring out the very best in the people they touch. You are very fortunate to have him. Just your daddy alone has been through so much pain and sadness in his life, but he is still so strong. I already know that you are a wonderful little girl and I wouldn't mind being your mother someday." She answered honestly.

Setsuna was shocked again, but Hokuou snapped her out of her daze. _**"She speaks the truth, cub. And if the boy DOES hold the Kyuubi, I need to speak with her. You are fortunate to have such a good guardian, and the Kyuubi is far more powerful than even me. She is the Queen of our kind, and a good friend of mine. Now back to the situation at hand. I sense good intentions from this female and that she is sincere. But let them work this out in their own way. Finding the right mate is tough."**_

Setsuna burst forward to give Hitomi a tight embrace. "Mama..." She whispered softly.

Hitomi heard this and started to tear up slightly. _'I could really see this little angel as a daughter, too. Just like Sakura's little sister. She'll love her, too.'_ Hitomi thought as Ichigo gathered them both in a gentle, but snug embrace.

"Daddy, I wanna be a strong ninja like you, Auntie Anko, Auntie Rin and the others I wanna protect you when you need it." Setsuna stated, her softly golden eyes steeled with determination.

Ichigo was shocked, but in a pleasant way. "Hey, Se-chan, how would you like to go to the ninja academy? They can teach you how to be like us and get you started. How about it?"

Her golden eyes lit up brightly. "REALLY? Thank you, daddy! I love you so much!" She cried into his vest.

Sarutobi watched the touching scene from his crystal ball, a wide, gentle smile playing on his aged features, _'This is the Konoha I have always loved, that my predecessors and I have strived for. I made the right choice letting him become a shinobi and a Jounin. He has earned every bit of faith I've placed in him and more. He made Naruto's life a far cry better than I ever could have hoped. He got the lonely Hitomi Haruno to love again, and two lonely hearts found the love they craved in each other. I hope to be able to see that wedding, as well as Naruto and Sakura's. He became their guardian angel, that little girl's savior, and a loving father. I hope to see her blossom into a beautiful and powerful kunoichi in her own right someday. May the gods continue to bless them and watch over them.'_

Ichigo realized that he would need to get Setsuna some clothes, basic things, and a bed. He was going to go ask Hinata to come with him to help out, but Hitomi offered her assistance, having a daughter herself. They took off together for the business district.

_**KONOHA BUSINESS DISTRICT 1330 HRS**_

Hitomi was having a wonderful time. She got to use little Setsuna like a human dress-up doll, surprisingly, to Setsuna's delight and the small girl loved it every bit as much. To her, this was the most fun she'd ever had.

As they were walking up to the store, many older couples and people wondered if Setsuna was _their_ child. It didn't help that she was in between the two, holding their hands with a smile that threatened to split her face in half.

The store they had wandered into was called "Lil' Kunoichi's", and Ichigo was horrified by the sheer amount of pink that covered the store. He knew that if Anko, Asuma, Rin, or Kurenai saw him there, they would never let him live it down.

Suddenly, many younger women and moms were homing in on him like sharks to blood, bombarding him with questions.

"Oh, hoho, my dear young man! No need to be embarrased!" One older woman said to him while a younger woman around 24 asked him, "So, are you a _single_ daddy?" She asked in a slightly husky voice, stressing the word single.

The normally calm, cheerful, and brave Ichigo now looked like a cornered, wounded animal in the onslaught of these women closing in for the kill. Thankfully, Hitomi picked up on his distress, and went over to retrieve him.

"Oh there you are,_ honey."_ She announced as she grabbed his arm, emphasizing the word honey to imply ownership and get them to back off.

"Our daughter, Setsuna, is almost done changing into her new clothes! Let's go see how pretty she is!" She exclaimed excitedly, hauling him out of his temporary hell.

Ichigo, with a relieved look on his face, played along. "Oh, coming dear!" Hitomi relished in the jealous gazes she got from most of the women.

"Oh my god, thank you for rescuing me from that flock of hens back there!" Ichigo gasped out gratefully.

Hitomi simply replied with a saucy wink. "No problem, Ichigo-kun." She cooed sweetly, making him blush rather brightly.

The dressing room curtain opened up and Setsuna came out in her new outfit. It was a royal blue shirt with the Uzumaki spiral on the back, some khaki capri cargo pants, dark blue shinobi sandals, and her hair was now up in a cute ponytail tied up by a bright red ribbon.

She looked at Ichigo bashfully. "D-do you like this, daddy?" She asked with a bright blush, making Hitomi giggle.

Ichigo smiled widely and crouched down to eye level. "Of course I do, hime. You look like a very pretty little kunoichi." He replied honestly.

Setsuna teared up a bit, then launched herself into her dad's arms, hugging his neck and kissing his cheek. "Thank you, daddy. I love you..." She whispered. "I love you too, Se-chan." He said softly. He then lifted the little girl into the air and spun around with her, making her squeal in delight.

_'I never thought that being a parent could feel so...good, rewarding even. But there is one thing that I know for certain. I deeply love my new daughter, and I will do whatever it takes to keep her happy, healthy, and safe. The fact that she is a jinchuuriki is irrelevant. She is MY daughter, my princess, my baby. Any fool who harms her with have to deal with me first, then her aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and 'grandpa'. I'll kill anyone who harms my family. That is a promise.' _Ichigo swore inwardly.

Hitomi watched the touching scene in front of her. _'I wish that Sakura could have had a father like him. He's very young for being a father of a girl that age, but I know he will be an awesome daddy. Sakura adores him and sees him as a big brother/father figure. I already love little Setsuna to death and she will need a mother. I wonder if he'd consider letting me become Hitomi Uzumaki? Would he want to become my husband and want me for his wife?'_ She pondered.

Ichigo paid for her new clothes out of the mission cash he received and they proceeded to buy all the other necessities, like a bed, a dresser, and a desk. After they were done shopping, Ichigo made a batch of Kage Bunshin to ferry everything home, put the bed together, put the clothes away, go shopping for dinner, and help Hinata get dinner started. _'God, this jutsu is sooo damn handy!' _After the "Uzumaki Moving Company" left to accomplish their assigned tasks, Hitomi and Ichigo decided to take Setsuna to the academy to enroll her.

_**KONOHA NINJA ACADEMY 1500 HRS.**_

The trio walked through the Academy gates into the playground, where many children around Setsuna's age were playing. She had never really played with kids her own age before. She glanced up to her new daddy, "Um, daddy? C-can I...?" She asked quietly, pointing towards the playing children.

He hugged her tightly. "Sure, Hime! Go ahead and play." He told her softly.

She ran up to a group of kids playing on a jungle gym and quickly made friends. The "couple" spotted Iruka supervising the children with some other instructors. They walked up, talked for a bit, and after Hitomi ribbing Iruka on his perpetual date-lessness, they asked to enroll Setsuna in the Academy. He was puzzled, but Ichigo assured him an explanation once they reached his office.

They reached Iruka's office and Hitomi and Ichigo checked for any eavesdroppers, then set up a silencing barrier to prevent any from learning anything they shouldn't. Once they were satisfied, they gave Iruka the full story on Setsuna.

"Another one...Another poor soul..." Iruka breathed out, crestfallen. "But, you have my word that I will never breathe a word of this to anyone but the 'family'." He said, referring to the patchwork, but tightly knit Uzumaki family that he earned a place in and it's members.

They spent a good 30 minutes signing the nesscessary paperwork for enrollment until they were finally done. Iruka filed the paper work and as luck would have it, a newly started class had an open spot, so he slipped her onto the roster.

"Okay, have her here at 0700 one week from now for her first day." Iruka said with a smile.

The adults went back outside to pick up Setsuna, but they were greeted by the sight of Setsuna standing protectively over a little girl a year or two older than her, protecting her from a group of kids about to gang up on them.

The other girl had on a blue floral print tank top, tan cargo capri pants and blue shinobi sandals. She also had golden tanned skin with freckles on her face, forest green hair, light green eyes, with a flower shaped clip in her hair. She looked like she had used for target practice with rocks, and damn near anything those kids could get ahold of. Iruka chased the kids off and Ichigo rushed over to see if the girls were okay.

He got to Setsuna first and inspected her for injuries. "Se-chan! Are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?" He asked, damn near frantic.

She simply smiled. "No daddy, I'm fine! But Kana-chan isn't though. Those mean kids were picking on her because of her skin, but I think her skin's really pretty. 'Sides, I really don't like bullies!" She stated, crossing her arms in a huff. Ichigo smiled widely at this, "Se-chan, I'm so, so proud of you. We all are. Standing up for what you believe in takes a lot to guts." He said, his face beaming with overflowing pride for his new daughter. He asked Iruka about the girl, and found that the girl was an orphan.

He went over to the little girl to check her injuries. She began to shy away from him fearfully, but was calmed by Setsuna. "Don't be scared. My daddy is really nice. He's trying to help you, Kana-chan." She said softly.

He got close to her again. "Hey, sweetie. What's your name? My name is Ichigo. Ichigo Uzumaki." He told her softly, with a warm, reassureing Uzumaki smile, causing the little girl to blush.

"M-m-my n-n-name i-is K-Kana, Ichigo-san." She said shyly.

"Kana, that's a pretty name." He said kindly, which made the poor girl fluster even more.

_'Man, she's like how Hinata used to be...I'd better handle her in the same way.' _ Ichigo pondered as he checked her over, finding sereval injuries. He frowned and picked her up bridal style very gently.

"Hitomi-chan, can you please carry Setsuna for me? We need to take her to the hospital." He said. Hitomi nodded and picked up Setsuna. Iruka also came along, concerned for the girl's well being. With a nod, the two jounins and chunnin bounded over the rooftops, bound for the hospital.

_**KONOHA HOSPITAL 1615 HRS.**_

After a couple of minutes, they reached the hospital, walking in the double doors just to run right smack into Rin. She was surprised, to say the least, to see her adoptive brother again today.

"Icchan? What's the mat..." She started to say, but she noticed the injuries on the little girl he was carrying. She took immeadiately took Kana into her arms to be taken in for medical care.

"You always try to do the right thing... That's my Nii-chan. You and Naruto both. That's why I love our family." She said softly, but proudly as she carried Kana away to be treated.

Ichigo sighed in relief. He knew that with Rin, she was in good hands. They all sat down on a bench in the lobby to wait, but suddenly Setsuna froze as still as a statue, then started to tremble. Ichigo noticed this.

"Hime? What's wrong?" He said, his voice fraught with worry.

_**"Cub, that young female has another tailed beast such as myself and the Kyuubi within her. Her seal is very complex and secure, but I am certain she knows of its existence. She holds the 7-tailed Horned Beetle, Kabutomushi. He is known to be rather rough, but otherwise friendly."**_

She looked at him with scared eyes. "D-d-daddy... Hoku-chan just... told me that K-Kana-chan i-is like me. She has something, too..." She said in a haunted voice. Ichigo's head hung low.

"Why... What is with these people... perverting nature...poor girl..." He muttered. Hitomi and Iruka got the picture. Ichigo's head snapped back up. We can't tell anyone outside the family, like with Setsuna. I refuse to see what happened to Naruto happen to her, as well." He stated with steel in his words. All, even Setsuna, nodded in agreement. She wanted to protect her new friend.

Rin came back out and heard the whole thing. She whole heartedly agreed. He watched as Kana and Setsuna played together happily, as Ichigo had another idea. He wanted to adopt her as well. Rin's voice shot up.

"WHAT? Icchan! You're only 21! Now you want to adopt another little girl? You're not even engaged yet!" She almost yelled.

He simply shook his head. "I need to do this. It just feels right to do this. I wasn't able to protect Naruto, but at least I can protect these girls who carry the same burden." He stated, with a slight tear rolling down his cheek.

Rin sighed and hugged her taller, younger brother. "I already knew your reason. I just can't help but feel proud of you. I know Anko probably felt the same." She said softly. "Thanks, Nee-chan." He sighed, hugging her back.

They broke up the hug, gathered up the kids, and took off to the Orphanage.

_**KONOHA ORPHANAGE 1730 HRS**_

As the group rolled over to the Orphanage, they ran into Anko again. She joined them thinking, _'This family just keeps getting bigger and better.'_

The group rolled into the director's office to try and start the paperwork. He had a nasty sneer on his face when he looked at Kana. "Miserable little foreign brat." He growled and raised his hand to strike her.

She braced herself for the slap, but it never came as she heard Anko shout _**"SENEI'JASHU!" **_

She looked up to see the director wrapped in snakes and being suspended by his throat by Ichigo. He had a menacing, demonic glare fixed on the short, rotund man as did the other adults and even Setsuna, her demonic chakra starting to spike a bit.

Ichigo composed himself and put the man down while Anko dispelled her snakes, "Nee-chan, Hitomi-chan, Se-chan. Can you take Kana to collect her things while Iruka, Anko-neechan, and I do the paperwork and make sure this, _person_, understand something." The two women and little girl nodded as they asked Kana to show them to her room. Meanwhile, Anko used her, persuasiveness, to get the correct paperwork and ensure that he wouldn't pull any bullshit. 20 minutes later, they met up in the main lobby of the facility.

"Hey, welcome to the family, Kana-chan. You are now officially Kana Uzumaki, and a member of the Uzumaki family." He announced proudly.

She went deathly silent and still. A moment later, she burst forward into him, bowling an unprepared Ichigo over. She wailed and had a deathly grip on him. "M-m-my d-daddy! My sister! My family!" She sobbed loudly, but happily. She was so happry to finally have the family she craved and needed, especially after how things were for her before.

_**"Little one, these humans will be good for you. I sense that the girl is like you. She holds Hokuou, the five tails and if the tall blonde is to be believed, another member of this pack holds the mighty nine tails herself."**_

_**'I hope these people will take care of you, young one. For both our sakes...'**_

Setsuna also joined in the hug, followed by Rin, Hitomi, Anko, and Iruka. Kana got something she had always dreamed of, a loving family. She also learned that she had one more sister at home and a brother away on a mission, just to get even more excited.

"Never forget that we will always love you. We are your family now and we would give our lives to protect you, just as you would for us." Rin said to her.

"Yeah, kiddo. Same here. Anybody gives you any crap, come an' get your Auntie Anko. I'll set 'em straight." She winked.

"Anything you girls need, just tell me. I'll do anything I can to help." Hitomi said warmly.

"This family is deeper than blood. We are connected by our hearts." Iruka added.

The group left the facility and headed for the Uzumaki household. Ichigo sent a clone ahead to warn Hinata about more company and to help her out. They were right in the fact that the Uzumaki family is bound together on a much deeper level than blood ties ever could. They were bound at the heart, soul, and spirit.

_**UZUMAKI RESIDENCE 1830 HRS**_

The entire troupe made it to the house with dinner waiting for them, courtesy of Hinata. She was told of her new sisters and their 'tenants'. But that didn't phase her one bit, as the two little girls took an immeadiate liking to the pale-eyed kunoichi. They all sat around the large dining table in the dining room and ate as a family, although they wished Naruto, Sakura, Gai, Kakashi, Lee, and Tenten could be there.

Nikujaga was the dish for tonight. Lively conversation rang out throughout the course of dinner. This was something that the up-tight Hyuuga clan viewed as beneath them, but Hinata loved every second of it. It felt more like a real family to her than the one she was born into.

After dinner was done and goodbyes said, Ichigo summoned a small team of shadow clones to help take care of the dishes, put away leftovers, and make lunches for the girls for tomorrow while having Hinata treat herself to a nice soak in the tub to relax. The girls asked if they could bathe with their new onee-chan, and she was more than happy for it. Her former clan was trying to convert Hanabi into what they deemed a "proper" heiress. Hanabi didn't take too kindly to her clan trying to beat any form of happiness out of her and she tried to stay with Hinata as much as possible and was hoping that Ichigo would fight for her as well if it ever came to that. The Uzumaki's were known as a very free-spirited, but very tightly knit family. They believed in letting kids make up their own minds, not forcing them onto a path they don't want.

After the cleanup and other finishing touches were done, Ichigo collapsed into his recliner in the den, passed out from exhaustion. After all, this has been a VERY long day for him. The three girls were ready for bed, but they saw their tuckered out daddy in his chair, snoring lightly.

"Daddy didn't even make it to bed..." Setsuna said as she played with his bangs gently.

"Yeah. He must have been very tired..." Kana added.

"He always works very hard, and he cares for all of us very much. You'll get to meet Naruto when he gets back from his mission. He should be home tomorrow, so you'll get to meet him and the others." Hinata told her new little sisters softly.

Setsuna got the covers from her bed, then her and Kana and Hinata all curled up with the tall, blond, young patriarch in peaceful slumber, a picture of a true family. The one ALL of them thought they could only dream about.


	15. Chuunin Exams : The Beginning

_What's up, y'all? I'm back with yet another installment of Guardian Angel. I got a review on my last chapter regarding Ichigo taking in his young charges. The reasons were because he was an orphan himself and because the girls were Jinchuuriki, like Naruto. He remembered how Naruto was treated when he was young and it scared him. He took them in before anything else could happen to the girls and in the process, made the famiily grow a little larger. Now that he has children, they will need a mother. Anyone care to place bets on who the lucky lady will be?_

_**ONE WEEK LATER, NOVEMBER 24th **_

_**UZUMAKI RESIDENCE 0545 HRS **_

Ichigo slowly woke up and got started on his new daily routine. He'd wake up, make breakfast, have a clone wake the girls, they'd all sit down to eat breakfast and then go about their day.

The clone reached their rooms and woke them gently. First, it woke the two young girls, then knocked on Hinata's door. "Girls, breakfast is ready. I made some eggs with toast and jam." It told them gently. Even though it wasn't really Ichigo, his feelings for the young ones remained. He had a nasty childhood due to being different, and he'd make damn sure that these little ones would not share the same fate as himself and Naruto.

They all woke up slowly, washed their faces, and sat down for breakfast. "So, Se-chan, first day of school. You excited?" He asked his youngest daughter.

She beamed with excitement. "Yep! I can't wait!" She chirped happily.

"Well, I'll walk you to school today since I don't have to report for patrol duty until 0800, alright?"

Kana perked up at this. "Y-you mean it, papa? Really!" She asked hopefully, her amber eyes sparkling with life.

He chuckled. "Really, really." He replied. He turned his attention to Hinata. "Anything special besides the usual training, Hina-chan?"

"No, not really. I just can't wait for Naruto-nii-san to return and see how he reacts to our little family growing by two." She giggled.

Ichigo remembered the old Hinata, who could barely form a single declarative sentence without stuttering profusely. _'This is a welcome change from where she started at. She sounds more like her name sake now. All she needed was a little encouragement from a parental figure. Now, she's happier than she ever was with a caring family.' _"Trust me, I can't either. Anyway, tell Kurenai I said hello, 'kay?"

"'Kay, Ichigo-tousan!" Hinata answered brightly on her way out the door to training with her team.

Setsuna watched her leave. "Hey, daddy. Hina-neechan is on a team?"

"Yes. When students graduate from the academy, they get put on teams of 3 with a jounin instructor to lead and guide them on missions."

"Dad, aren't you a jounin? Can you be our instructor when we graduate?" Kana asked.

Ichigo chuckled. "We'll see. Hokage-sama and Iruka decide the teams based on how well you do in school. So do the best you can, okay? Don't be afraid to ask questions if you need to."

Kana's and Setsuna's eyes both lit up, "'kay, papa!"

With that, the girls got ready for school and then they were off.

_**KONOHA ACADEMY 0645 HRS.**_

The family arrived at the gates of the academy with a little time to spare. Ichigo bent down for the usual affection from his daughters and sent them on their way. Some of the other mothers couldn't help but notice the pensive look on his face.

One older woman came over to him and put a reassuring hand the young jounin's shoulder. "First day?"

"Yeah...My little Setsuna and Kana wanted to be shinobi, like me."

The woman laughed good-naturedly, "With a father as strong as you, young man, those two little angels of yours will grow to become strong and beautiful kunoichi in their own right. Oh yes, you are becoming quite famous, Ichigo-san. You and your brother both. I don't blame what happened 13 years ago on him, it wasn't as if he had a choice. I used to be skeptical of him, but he is becoming a fine Konoha shinobi, like you."

Ichigo was flabbergasted. He didn't really know what to say, so he blushed. "Oh my! I must get going, Ichigo-san. It was nice meeting you!" She said, hurriedly walking away.

"So, how's our newest daddy and his DAUGHTERS doing today?" A wizened old voice said behind him.

"GAHHH!" Ichigo yelped in surprise. "H-Hokage-sama? S-so, you knew about Kana?"

Sarutobi chuckled, "Of course, my dear boy. I also know of her 'tenant', as well. I'm very proud of you for what you're doing. I know that you don't want to see another Naruto, so you're adopting them and raising them yourself. You even took in the Hyuuga girl and are looking after her yourself. With her around, looking after those little one won't be as hard."

"I know. I really want the best for them. I never had a family before I came here, but now that I have one, I'll fight to the death to protect them. My sisters and brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, our 'grandpa'," He gestured to Sarutobi, who chuckled.

"And now, the babies of the family, your 'great-grandchildren'. I know that none of us are related by blood, but we have a much deeper connection. We're all orphans, like myself, Naruto, Tenten, Lee, Rin, Iruka, Kakashi, and the girls. Social outcasts and misfits like Anko, Gai, and Hinata. Other people that understand us, like Hitomi, Sakura, Ino and her family and the Ichirakus. We're all one big family, joined at the heart."

Sarutobi couldn't have been more pleased to hear that. _'THIS is what I want for Konoha. This young man and Naruto personify the ideals on which Konoha was founded. I hope to see either one fill my seat someday. They would make wonderful Hokages.'_ Sarutobi shook himself out of that train of thought and onto another.

"You know, now that you have children, don't you think it's time to get married? I happen to know that you and Hitomi Haruno are rather sweet on each other." He said slyly, nudging him with his elbow.

Ichigo jumped and sputtered at the insinuation, "M-m-married? I-I-I don't know...what if she doesn't want to..." He stammered out, although he wasn't averse to the idea.

He had toyed with the idea since he and Hitomi began dating and those thoughts became stronger when he adopted the girls. Just a few days ago, he slipped into a jewelery store and ordered a silver ring with a single Garnet set in it, an engagement ring. Her birthday was Janurary 11th, so the Garnet was easy, but he heard from Anko and Rin that she liked sivler instead of gold.

"Oh, hohohoho! Trust me, my dear boy, she wants to! All you have to do is propose! Talk to her about it. I can personally guarantee that she'll at least consider it." He told Ichigo, as if he were talking to his own son or grandson.

"Besides, Koharu would love to arrange for it, seeing as how she is so fond of you and Naruto. To be honest, she been chomping at the bit waiting for you and Hitomi to tie the knot as well as the rest of the clan heads, especially Tsume. She sees you like a nephew, part of her pack."

Ichigo smiled softly._ 'Marriage...Before coming here, I would have thought it was impossible. But, I really do love her...'_ "I...I'll ask her...I'll ask her to marry me, old man! By this weeks end, I ask her!" Ichigo told his surrogate 'grandpa' confidently.

"Atta' boy, Ichigo-kun! But don't you have patrol duty right now?" Sarutobi asked him.

Ichigo checked his watch and gasped. "EEHHH? I'm gonna be late! Anko-neechan's gonna kill me!" He yelled as he bolted for the main gate where his patrol team, consisting of Anko, Genma Shiranui, and Raido Namiashi, was waiting.

Sarutobi laughed at the antics of his eldest 'grandson. _'Looks like I might win this bet with Shikaku, after all.' _The old man smirked.

_**KONOHA MAIN GATES 0750 HRS**_

Anko and the rest of the team were a bit early to the gate when Ichigo darted up to them. "Hey, _daddy._" Raido teased.

"Shut up, jackass." Ichigo huffed, "I like being a dad. I don't wanna be one of those middle-aged bachelors like you and Genma are probably gonna be. It feels pretty good knowing you have little ones looking up to you."

Genma piped up. "Hey, _pops_. We happen to like being bachelors with _no kids _and _no wife_ hangin' around...D'OOWWW!" He would have gone further if Anko hadn't planted a fist in the back of his head.

"Now I KNOW you weren't going to say anything about my new nieces, WERE YOU?" She said in a sickly sweet voice the made even S-ranked criminals crap themselves. Genma and Raido promptly clammed up, knowing how Anko gets when upset.

They were about to set out when Teams 7 and Gai strolled up to the gate.

"OI! Gaki!" Anko called out to Naruto.

He saw who was there. "Anko-neechan! Aniki! How've you guys been?" He asked excitedly. Sakura ran up next to him.

"Ichigo-san! I missed you!" She cried running up and hugging the man she looked up to. They had a few minutes to spare, so they swapped stories, carefully leaving out the girls as a surprise.

"Whoa, cool! You got a summoning contract! Can I see?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Sure, why not?" He said. He bit his thumb for some blood, swiped it on his opposite hand and went through the hand seals.

_**"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!" **_He bellowed. After the smoke died down, a tiger sized wolf with a snow white pelt and vibrant blue eyes stood there.

**"Ichigo-kun! I've been waiting for you to summon me!" **The wolf cried in a childish and female voice as she tackled Ichigo, nuzzling and licking him affectionately.

"Whoa! Slow down, Fuyuno-chan! I've got people for you to meet..." He said as he made introductions. She sauntered up to them to take in their scents.

Naruto thought that she was pretty cool and she thought likewise. Sakura and Tenten both thought she was beautiful with her snow white fur and beautiful blue eyes. Kakashi was shocked, but amazed. Gai and Lee did their usual ranting. Neji actually looked very interested in this, wondering if he'd ever get to sign a summoning contract someday. Fuyuno was told that Sakura and Naruto were going out and she pouted a bit, saying that most of the good ones already had mates. Sasuke just snorted, catching a glare and growl from the young wolf.

**"Ichigo-kun, I don't like that one. I smell and feel the darkness and hate in him. He has the smell of a traitor."** She told him in a low, cautious voice.

"I know. We don't really trust him, either. It's petty politics that stays my hand, sadly." He replied, but got back to business, as he addressed Sakura and Naruto.

"I've got surprises for both of you, but I'll show you tonight. Dinner at the Akimichi's restaurant, 7 P.M. Tell the family to come." He looked over at Gai, Kakashi, Lee, and Tenten.

"You guys are invited, too. After all, you're practically part of the family, I want you there to witness this. Kakashi, bring Rin, Iruka, and the Ichirakus with you, if you could." He concluded.

"I'll bring them."

"Sakura, Naruto. Bring Ino and her folks."

"Right." "You got it, Aniki."

"Nee-chan, can you bring Kurenai, Asuma, and Yugao? Also, Teams 8 and 10 are invited, as well."

"Eh, why not? Sure, otouto."

They all chatted for a bit longer, before Anko got them back on track. Ichigo asked Fuyuno if they could borrow her nose for a while, to which she didn't object.

_**KONOHA ACADEMY 1503 HRS**_

Anko and her team returned from their patrol a bit earlier due to Fuyuno's help. Genma and Raido actually found themselves invited to the dinner, provided their colorful commentary was kept in check. As they made the report, Ichigo and Anko stayed behind to tell the Hokage, who told Koharu, who in turn nearly had a heart attack with happiness.

He also left a message for Hitomi about the dinner. He kept Fuyuno by his side as he went to go pick up the girls from school. Fuyuno took a shine to the girls pretty quickly, especially Setsuna, who rode home on her back as Kana rode on his shoulders. He stopped by a jewerly shop quickly to pick up an item he ordered and they headed home.

_**UZUMAKI RESIDENCE 1549 HRS**_

Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata were at home, waiting on Ichigo to show them the first surprise. Both were surprised with Hinata's hair growing out. She told them of the crush she has on Kiba and Sakura told her of some tips to use on him for dates, while Naruto was considering having another TALK with Kiba concerning Hinata.

"We're home, Hina-neechan!" They heard a very young female voice chirp out. Setsuna came barrelling around the corner to run into Naruto. He suddenly felt Kyu talk to him.

_**"Kit, I'm getting a strange feeling from this girl. Hold on..."**_ Kyu told her vessel as she reached out to check her suspicions.

_**"K-Kit...She's just like you...She holds Hokuou...the five tails. The other girl holds Kabutomushi...the seven tails. I know what your brother is trying to do. He doesn't want them to suffer like you did, so he must have adopted them. He really is a good man..."**_ Kyu told him, in awe that a human would actually do such a selfless and kind thing.

_"You serious, Kyu? All right! Kid sisters! This is gonna be great!"_

Naruto looked down at her with a huge smile. "Hey there! What's your name?"

Setsuna slammed into shy mode and tried to hide behind Hinata, with Kana who followed suit. Hinata just giggled and made introductions.

"Naruto-niichan! Sakura-onechan!" Setsuna cried. Kana followed suit in embracing him and Sakura tightly.

Sakura teared up a bit. She always wanted a little sister, and now she practically had two cute kid sisters.

_**"Kyu? Is that you?"**_ Hokuou asked.

Kyu gasped. _**"Hokuou, Mushi! It's been so long..."**_

_**"Kyu...It has been too long...1,000 years too long."**_ Kabutomushi buzzed fondly.

Before long, unknown to their containers, they continued to catch up and talk. Back with the real world, the newly grown family sat down and talked. Ichigo told them of his mission, the wolf contract, and the adoptions. Naruto and Sakura told him of their mission in Wave Country. Sakura told Ichigo of their first kill. Naruto was still haunted by it slightly, but Ichigo further reinforced what Kakashi and Gai told him, that killing it just a part of what you have to do sometimes. That doesn't mean you have to like or enjoy it. The little ones heard this and shivered in fright. Ichigo told them that he won't love them any less if they had to do it.

"If someone was going to kill, say me or Hinata, would you kill them if you had to in order to keep us safe?" He asked Setsuna and Kana.

Both girls looked at each other, nodded and replied.

"I...I guess we would. I mean, I don't want you and Hina-neechan to die..." Setsuna said quietly.

"We'd do anything to protect our family and loved ones. Even take a life, if we need to." Kana said in a slightly stronger voice.

Ichigo looked at them proudly. "I'm very proud of you two. We don't kill for enjoyment. We do it to protect our precious people and loved ones."

Sakura spoke up, "Naruto did it to protect me. He used the same power that you two have inside of you, but he only uses that power if the situation gets desperate. You shouldn't rely on it solely. I'm sure that you two will be really strong like your dad or Naruto someday, I'm sure of that much."

More bonding went on for another 30 minutes, until they had to get ready for the dinner. Sakura left for home to go get ready herself.

"Hey aniki, what about the second surprise?" Naruto asked.

"Can you hint at it?" Hinata probed.

"Nope. I want it to be a complete surprise. Can't go spoiling it now." He beamed with the fox-like grin he and Naruto were famous for.

The Uzumaki family started to get ready for the dinner that night. He contacted the Akimichi's and they were glad to spare a banquet room for them to use. Soon, the time came to depart for the restaurant. He gathered all of his troops and they marched loud and proud down the streets of Konoha.

_**MEANWHILE, WITH EVERYONE ELSE...**_

With Ino and her folks, both women were fussing over what to wear so much, that Inoichi had to remind them that they were running late. Unfortunately, he walked in on his daughter at the wrong moment. Needless to say, he was never going to live down the embarrassment of walking in on his changing daughter, not if she could help it and milk it for all it was worth.

Asuma, Kurenai, Yugao, Anko, the remainders of Teams 10 and 8 were enroute to the restaurant already. Ibiki was dragged along by Anko, saying that he needed to get out more. Chouji was instructed by his dad to show them to the banquet room. When they got there, Anko went completely haywire at all the sake and dango.

Chouji said something along the lines of Ichigo and Naruto, mentioning that Anko liked them. She went into a crying jag, saying that she didn't deserve such good little brothers. It was kind of awkward to be consoling a grown woman in the middle of a packed restaurant.

Rin, Kakashi, Iruka, and the Ichiraku's were already there and talking. Rin was ribbing Iruka the whole time on not being able to get a date. Surprisingly enough, Ayame came to his defense, stating that she wouldn't mind going on at least one date with him. Old man Teuchi simply gave him a glare that could scare the shinigami himself. He calmed down but gave him a similar talk as the one Kiba got from Ichigo and Naruto. Suffice to say, he's gonna be a perfect gentleman, alright.

Kakashi was thanking his lucky stars that he didn't have to go through that with Rin, although he remembers his talk with Kushina. She told him if he ever did something un-gentlemanly and she heard about, not even hell could hide him from her wrath. Her words had a lasting impression, but not as much as Jiraiya's books.

The remnants of Teams Gai and 7 (minus Sasuke), the Haruno's and Hanabi made it to the restaurant next. Gai and Lee were actually dressed like normal human beings for once, much to everyone's shock. But they still ranted on about youth. Sakura was telling Tenten, Lee, and Gai about the new members of the family. Gai was ready to turn them in mini female versions of himself, but a withering glare from the four females present told him other wise.

_**SHUSHUYA'S BANQUET ROOM 1902 HRS**_

Genma and Raido arrived with the Hokage and Koharu as the jounin escorts. By the time everyone was seated, Ichigo introduced the girls, as promised. Tenten squealed with glee as she bum rushed the girls, scooping them up into a massive cuddle. Yugao and Kurenai let out uncharacteristic squeals of their own as they good a good look at the new chibis. Yugao remarked that Setsuna's hair was very much like her own, while Kurenai marveled at Kana's beautiful skin tone and cute freckles.

Kakashi got a kick out of being called "Uncle Kakashi". Rin commented that she's never seen him tear up like that since Obito died.

Gai loved his new title, being an only child he thought he'd never get to be called that. Asuma stated he never thought he'd have a niece, but it was nice none the less. Ibiki never had much experience in the way of children, but he warmed up to the idea of being "Uncle Ibiki" pretty quickly. The big, tough interrogator actually blushed when little Setsuna gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Akamaru found a new playmate in Setsuna, while Shino's bugs took a shine to Kana, who in turn took an interest in them. The old Hokage looked out upon his extended family with pride and a slight tear. This is the Konoha he envisioned, the Konoha the Shodaime strived to create and the others died protecting.

Dinner was served in a buffet style, which made Chouji literally go weak. Nobody could ever have guessed that the two little girls could eat so much, but then again, they were Uzumaki's. They could rival the Akimichi's in appetite, but never gain a pound. The dinner was filled with lots of talk, banter, and laughter, just like one big ass family.

The genin girls simply chatted about their prospective boys. Sakura was telling them that Naruto was almost a whole different person than he was in the Academy. He still retained his cheerful and sunny disposition along with his playful nature, and she loved telling them again about their first date. Ino professed that she kinda looked around for someone, but hadn't had any luck yet. She did think to herself that no one would ever be quite like Naruto or his brother. Hinata confessed that she liked Kiba, and Tenten said she was leaning toward Lee. Her defense was that when he calmed down and was away from Gai's direct influence, he was a pretty sweet guy.

Meanwhile, the women all chatted it up. Anko professed that she wanted a guy that wasn't going to wet himself with fear when he sees her, but Kurenai ribbed that it might be a bit impossible. Rin said that things between her and Kakashi were going great. Kurenai kept dodging questions about her and Asuma, but blushed at every insinuation. Hitomi said that she's glad Ichigo's back and that she loves those little girls to death. Yugao just commented that she and Hayate were doing great and looking to get married in the near future.

As the dinner wound on, Sarutobi tapped his glass with his fork to get everyone's attention. "My dear friends, may I have your attention please. I believe that Ichigo has one last surprise in store for you all." He stated to the guests while giving Ichigo a subtle wink.

As if on cue, he stood up and faced the crowd. He summoned up his courage and spoke. "My dear friends and family, since I came here, my life has taken an interesting turn. I was alone, unwanted, unloved. Since I came here, I've slowly started to gain friends to trust and a family to love. You all have given me so much, that I feel I cannot repay you all. Naruto, my dear otouto, you're not only my little brother, but one of my best friends. Gai, you crazy bastard, you always seem to cheer me up without even trying. Anko and Rin, my big sisters. You've always been there for me and Naruto. Thank you, from your grateful little blonde bakas. The Yamanaka's, you've made us feel welcome in your home and tacked us on to your own family. Hokage-sama, who made all of this even possible, giving me a purpose, a name, a life. I owe you a debt that I can never fully repay even in a dozen lifetimes. To all of you, in your own ways, you are my family. And as my family, I wanted you all here to bear witness to this night." He told them all, finishing as he came to a halt in front of Hitomi.

He stopped right in front of her, kneeling down on one knee and pulling out a small box. He opened it up to reveal a silver engagement ring with a shining Garnet set in it. Her birthstone.

"Hitomi Haruno, will you marry me?" He asked with the last of the courage he had left.

It was like time stopped at that precise moment. Shocked faces dotted the crowd, filled with anticipation. Naruto and Sakura held each others hand tightly while the girls held their breath. They really liked that nice lady. Hinata found herself holding Kiba's hand. Asuma and Kurenai found themselves doing the same, not caring if people saw them. The Old Hokage smirked. Hitomi's eyes were starting to water. After what seemed to be an eternity, she finally composed herself to answer him.

"Y-y-yes. Yes! I will! I will marry you, Ichigo-kun!" She cried out happily as she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly while crying.

Ichigo let go of the breath he held in and let out a single tear as the whole restaurant erupted in cheering and congratulations. Shikamaru broke out into a wide grin and let out a single tear, helping Ino dry her own. Hinata was so happy, that she gave her first kiss to Kiba that night, whose head swam for hours afterwards. Setsuna and Kana had their faces buried in their ojii-chan's robes, crying happily that they're going to get a mother. Naruto and Sakura were thrilled, as they supported the relationship the whole time and Naruto already proposed to her in a sense. Anko came up and gave both Hitomi and Ichigo a massive hug.

"Geez, look at me. So much for my image." She choked out with smile and some tears coming down. "I love you both so damn much...I hope you're happy together, otouto. Make each other happy."

"Thanks, neechan. I can't wait till it's your turn. I wonder who the vic...I mean, lucky guy'll be."

Rin walked up with Kakashi and Iruka at her sides. "One of my little blonde bakas is getting engaged..." She cried while giving Ichigo a tight embrace. "Treat her good, Icchan, **OR ELSE.**" She said in a dark voice before snapping back to being weepy.

"Are you nuts, Rin? Of course I'll treat her right! She's one of the best things thats ever happened to me in my whole life."

He was taken back by the sudden shifts in personality in his little big sister. Kakashi just sweat dropped, somewhat used to it over the years.

He shook his hand and gave him a brotherly hug. "I kinda thought you'd get hitched before me. You gave me a family, brothers, sisters, even nieces. You and Naruto helped bring everyone together. For that, I can never thank you two enough." He said sadly.

"Thanks, Kakashi. I just can't wait until you and Rin to tie the knot. THAT'S gonna be interesting. You guys have been going out for how long now? 10 years?" Ichigo teased.

Kakashi coughed and sputtered a bit, "w-well, um...uh, yeah?"

"Soooo, when are you gonna ask her?"

"Soon. Maybe after the Chunnin Exams are over. When's the wedding going to be?"

"Well, we decided to have the ceremony in April. We want to have our ceremony outdoors in the cherry blossom orchard in the spring."

Next was Gai and Lee, who instead of ranting about youth, gave him hearty and heart-felt congratulations. Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata were next. All three gave him a big hug, as well as Hitomi.

"Mom, I'm so happy...Now, he's really going to be part of the family, like a dad." She choked out happily.

"Aniki, I can't believe it, but it's true..."He said as he let it all out.

Hinata sniffled a bit and hugged him. "Thank you so much for all you've done for me. You took me in when my clan kicked me out. You gave me a family, a real, honest to god family. Remember, I love you and I always will." She said, giving a soft glowing smile.

Sarutobi, Koharu, and the girls were next in line. He gave the old man a hug, thanking him for giving him the guts to do this. Sarutobi told him that whenever the ceremony would be held, he would perform the rites personally. Koharu hugged him like a grandson and offered to help plan the wedding. He told her that the wedding will wait for a while, while Hitomi happily accepted the Elder's help.

Everyone else cycled through, giving their well wishes and congratulations. He also announced the best man, who would be Kakashi and Hitomi announced that the Maid of Honor would be Anko, for always sticking by her during the pregnancy and for protecting Naruto all those years. She had a very tough choice between Anko and Rin.

Anko practically broke down crying, contradicting her public image. She managed to get out that she would be honored to accept. Rin was happy for her, considering that Anko was hated by over half of the village, she felt that Anko deserved it more. Iruka shook Kakashi's hand and congratulated his "brother".

The dinner-turned-engagement party lasted well into the night, with laughing, dancing, and merriment all around. Sarutobi informed Ichigo and Anko that they will be proctors for the Chunnin Exams in two weeks. Anko, for the second exam and Ichigo, for the third. The other proctor would be none other than Ibiki Morino, the most hardcore interrogator the Leaf had.

Outside, however, a pair of newly acquired Sharingan eyes watched all the happiness in a jealous rage. _'Damn you...that praise should have been mine, you stupid demon dobe! No one should love you. Everyone should love and worship me, not you dobe brothers. I'll get you for this insult.'_

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 0034 HRS**_

After the party died down, Sakura decided to let the newly engaged couple have some time alone, so she stayed the night at the Uzumaki's. Ichigo and Hitomi were cuddled up on her bed, enjoying their new engaged status, while watching a movie on T.V. They started to play around like they were kids again, something Hitomi never got to do with a man.

"Icchan, I love you. But, you know that, right?" She said jokingly.

"'Course I do, Hitomi-hime. After all, you're gonna be the future Mrs. Hitomi Uzumaki." Ichigo told her while playfully nipping at her neck, making her squirm and giggle. Soon, it erupted into a tickle fight, and then she wound up straddling his waist. They stopped for a moment and then kissed. She slowly pushed him down to his back, taking off her shirt.

"Aishiteru, Ichigo-kun."

"Aishiteru, Hitomi-chan."

With these words said, the newly engaged couple proceeded to give themselves to each other mind, body, and soul.

_**TIMESKIP 2 WEEKS - DECEMBER 2nd - KONOHA ACADEMY RM. 301 0830 HRS**_

Naruto was in the middle of the first part of the Chunnin Exams while his mind wandered back over the past 2 weeks.

_After the party, he and his two new little sisters got a__c__quainted quite well. Little Setsuna followed him where he went, but he didn't mind at all. The small jinchuuriki even followed him to his team practices to watch. Gai and Lee really got a kick out of the spunky little girl's spirit and never got tired of watching her trying to emulate her new big brother. She even started to wear orange like him, __yet__ a much softer shade of it. Gai loved being called an uncle, and started referring to her as his "__y__outhful young niece." Lee took it in a similar fashion and treated her like a kid sister. Whenever Gai brought her home, she rode on his shoulders like she always does with her father, and began to attract him some female attention._

_The newly dubbed Uzumaki sisters met the Konohamaru corps, with them and Moegi hitting it off quickly. Setsuna quickly built a solid reputation of being a bit of an anti-bully, something Iruka was extrem__e__ly proud of. She made the __bullies, which__ always picked on Kana__,__ stay away. _

_Kana stuck close to Hinata, who helped her get over her timidness a bit. Hinata, Ino, and Sakura all gave her a bit of a make over, which had her turning the heads of the boys who once bullied her. She soon discovered that she had a secret admirer at the Academy in the form of Konohamaru, but he was too shy to say anything. Both of the Uzumaki sisters met up with Hanabi and became pretty good friends. This was something that Hanabi needed, as she didn't really have any friends her own age._

_The relationship between Ichigo and Hitomi just kept getting stronger as they started to make plans for the eventual wedding. Their target date was in mid-April, or four months away. In the mean time, Rin and Kakashi were named as godparents should anything happen to him or Hitomi, due to the fact that they were due to get hitched pretty soon themselves._

_All the teams trained like mad for the Exams. Ichigo and Anko weren't allowed to help due to them being exam proctors, but left them with some helpful tips and a few jutsu scrolls. Team Gai stepped it up a notch by holding a 3 way battle royale to gauge each others progress. Due to the weights, Sakura and Naruto's speed and strength had increased exponentially since they came to Team Gai. Other teams started to adopt the same training tactic and saw positive results. _

_Ino turned away from dieting after she passed out from exhaustion from not eating enough. Ichigo warned her that she needed to eat more and that the training would burn off any calories she intakes. If anything, she'll gain muscle tone. Her teammates noticed her change in both appetite and in her performance. She was now too fast and strong for them, and back when Naruto taught her the Kage Bunshin, she had worked like mad at increaseing her chakra capacity. She is now able to make 10 clones and still keep going strong. Asuma noticed the change in her and was more than pleased to see it. He began to push Shikamaru and Chouji just as hard, as well. _

_Tenten's progress was remarkable. She now carried twin Kodachi's at the ready and could turn her opponents into human confetti if given the chance. The weight training __benefited__ her in ways she never dreamed. She could now move faster, throw harder, and hit with more authority. _

_Ichigo had taught her some advanced Karate to augment her abilities and taught her one of his weapon-based skills, called the __**KAITEN KENBU ROKUREN**__. When Sasuke tried to get in close when he tried to spar with her, she gave him a nasty surpri__s__e. Due to him being forbidden from using the Sharingan in sparring matches and against any fellow Konoha Shinobi, he got his ass handed to him. She still hadn't forgiven him for the incident with Sakura 6 months ago and let him know it with every blow._

_One day, when Sakura and Naruto went on a walk, they saw Konohamaru running at full tilt just to run into a Suna nin in a black bodysuit and face paint. _

_"Hey you little runt. When you run into somebody, you apologize__,__" __H__e growled, picking the boy up by the front of his shirt. _

_The blonde Suna kunoichi behind him started to berate him. "Kankuro! Put him down! Stop causing trouble. If Ga__a__ra finds out, he'll kill us both." She yelled. _

_"Aw, pipe down, Temari. I'm just having a little fun..."_

_Before Kankuro could finish or even notice, Sakura and Naruto were already on top of him. Naruto forced his grip loose while Sakura had a kunai against his neck. "I know that you're here for the Chunnin Exams, but I don't think this is the way for guests to act, don't you think so, Naruto-kun?" Sakura spoke up._

_"You've gotta point there, Sakura-chan. That was the Hokage's grandson you were about to hit. Feel lucky that it wasn't the ANBU who stopped you." Naruto added._

_Kankuro was sweating bullets at this point__,__ "__U__h, Temari? Sis? A little help would be nice."_

_Temari sighed exasperatedly. "Could you please let my baka of a little brother go? I promise I'll keep him on a shorter leash." The blonde Suna nin asked of them, while shooting Kankuro a death glare._

_Naruto and Sakura relented and released him. No sooner than they did, a rock came screaming from a tree and hit Kankuro in the back of the head._

_"D'OOWWW! Hey, what the hell, man?" He yelped in pain. Temari, Naruto and Sakura looked around for the thrower and found Sasuke perched on a tree, holding more rocks while grinning smugly._

_"DAMMIT SASUKE! We had this resolved already! Why the hell did you screw it up, you moron?" Naruto yelled at him._

_"Sasuke, leave NOW. We don't need you causing trouble..." Sakura began to say, but she stopped as she noticed a swirl of sand behind him and a red headed boy appeared. _

_"I don't believe you are wanted here." The boy said in a dead, monotone voice. Sasuke flinched. He'd been caught from behind, again. He cursed and took his leave hastily._

_Temari huffed as she watched the Uchiha bound away__,__ "__w__hat a jackass."_

_Sakura smirked at this and agreed with her fellow kunoichi__,__ "__y__ou said it, alright. A grade-A jackass."_

_Temari chuckled a bit at the comment__,__ while Kankuro let out a guffaw. The red-haired boy jumped down to his teammates. "Temari, Kankuro. We are leaving now." He ordered them in a cold, monotone voice. They startled a bit, but followed. _

_"O-okay, Gaara." Temari replied shakily. _

_Gaara froze and looked at Naruto. "I sense a power like mine within you...What is your name?" He asked, his eyes narrowing._

_"I'm Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." He replied, standing his ground._

_""I'm looking forward to giving mother your blood. Until then, Naruto Uzumaki..." He said as he Suna Shunshin'd way. Temari and Kankuro both waved goodbye and left them there to wonder what the hell Gaara was talking about. Naruto felt Kyu try to talk with him._

_**"Kit! That boy...he's another jinchuuriki like you and your sisters! He holds Shukaku, the Ichibi. That one is very dangerous an**__**d**__** you should be very careful around him. **__**Same goes for**__** your teammates, too."**_

_"Right, Kyu. He seemed to be kinda unstable. You know, kinda crazy."_

_**"That is a side effect of that boy's sealing. His seal is weak and can barely hold Shukaku back. I can only guess at the kind of damage his mind has suffered. Again, be careful, Kit."**_

_Sakura looked on in worry at Naruto__,__ "N-Naruto-kun...what's wrong?" _

_"Nothing, Sakura-chan. I'm alright. But, just be really careful around that guy. He's...like me, only he has less control over it than I do."_

_Sakura blinked in confusion for a moment, but then she realized what he meant__, __"__o__kay. I'll be careful. I'll tell Lee, too."_

With that, they were told of their nomination for the Chunnin Exams. They spent the week fine-tuning their skills in preparation, which brings us to this day and moment.

Now, Naruto knew he was never any good at written tests, so he didn't even bother trying to bullshit his way through this.

Ibiki shouted out that time was up and it was time for the final question. This was an optional question, that if they got wrong they could never make chunnin, ever. He gave them a chance to give up and try again next time. Some of the entrants took the bait and quit. Naruto, however, wasn't that easily dissuaded.

He called the question sheer bullshit, and called for Ibiki to bring it on. All the other entrants shed their fear and voiced their agreements. Ibiki smirked and chuckled.

"Very well, then." He paused for effect, "in that case...You all...Pass!"

All the Chunnin hopefuls openly gaped at this. Temari blurted out, "w-what about the 10th question?"

He chuckled again and explained that Chunnins would be caught in situations that they had no information on and that sometimes they would be required to make a leap of faith, to have the courage to encounter the unknown.

Without warning, a window exploded and a kunoichi hopped into the room. A banner pinned up behind her read "_Anko Mitarashi, The Sexy Second Exam Proctor."_

Naruto sweatdropped. _'Well, Anko-neechan DOES have all the subtlety of a kick to the balls...'_

"Alright brats! No time to sit around! Meet me at Training Area #44 for the second part of this Exam! Come on, get your asses in gear!"

Naruto glanced at his teammates, who nodded back. They all left for the exam site.

_**TG #44 "FOREST OF DEATH" 1200 HRS **_

All of the Chunnin hopefuls gathered in front of the main gate to the forest of death. All of the rookie teams swallowed hard, as they had a gut feeling that this carried the risk of death, as they were warned by their senseis.

Anko was satisfied with the turn out and introduced herself again. "ALRIGHT BRATS! Listen up! I'm Anko Mitarashi, the proctor for the duration of this portion of the exam!" She announced as she went over the rules for the exam.

Each team was given a scroll, Heaven or Earth, and would have to somehow get the other scroll and make it to the tower in the center of the forest within five days. There was a penalty for opening the scrolls too early, but Anko wasn't about to cough up that information.

During the explanation, Sasuke was busy mocking Anko, saying that this test would be a joke and that he could do it by himself. Anko heard him and flung a kunai that grazed his face.

"Keep talking like that, little Uchiha, and your clan WILL become extinct, by my hand or by the other competitors that you seem to underestimate so much." She told him.

A snake tongued Genin had retrieved the kunai and gave it back to Anko. "So sorry, but the sight of blood gets me excited..." 'She' explained.

Anko accepted it back with an uneasy feeling in her gut. _'Something's not right with that one...'_ She thought. "You should know better than to sneak up on a Jounin. I might have killed you." Anko retorted.

"My apologies, ma'am." 'She' replied as she slunk back where she was before.

Naruto looked over to Anko in worry. He'd never seen her so rattled before. She caught his eyes and gave him a warning glance. He understood what she meant and relayed it to his classmates, "Hey, guys. You know that freaky looking team from Grass? I think we should avoid 'em. That one Grass kunoichi was enough to rattle Anko-sensei. I know her well enough to know that she doesn't scare so easily."

Everyone understood and acknowledged, but Sasuke, "You're all just weak. She's just a kunoichi, what could she do?" He replied, getting glares from every female present.

They didn't get to stew for long, as Anko called for them to get to their starting gates. Hinata walked up to Naruto and gave him a hug. "Good luck, Nii-chan." She told him as they parted.

"Yeah, same to you Hina-imouto." He replied.

The teams got themselves ready in front of the gates and prepared for, some of them, the fight of their lives. The starting signal was given and the teams bolted off into the forest.

Team Gai proceeded throught the forest at a rapid clip, homing in on one of the other teams. Soon, they found a genin team from the Rain village and as luck would have it, they split up. Acting quickly, they split also and pursued them individually. Sakura's fight was vastly one-sided. The Genin she fought was a massive pervert and attempted to 'play' with her. She instantly reacted by breaking both of his arms in three places and beating some information out of him, finding that his team had the scroll they needed, but that he didn't have it. Outliving his usefullness, she knocked him out cold and went to join her teammates.

Lee's fight couldn't even be called a fight, more like an ass-kicking spree. The Rain Genin didn't even know he was there until he already took a monsterous blow from the strange looking boy. Lee had changed his look slightly over the past few months. He was starting to grow his hair back out and so far had a skinny black rat tail, but he refused to give up the spandex suit. Lee searched his brief opponent and found no scroll. He then turned and began to meet up with Sakura and Naruto.

Naruto had snuck up on his opponent and used a modified sleeper hold that Ichigo had showed him to take the Genin down nice and quietly, due to him sensing another team in the area. His search provided him with the scroll that they needed as well as a few basic medical supplies and exploding tags. He quickly made all possible haste to the agreed upon meeting place that he and his team established.

Lee and Sakura were already there, waiting for the last member to show up. After a few moments of waiting, Naruto landed in the middle of the clearing.

"Hey guys! Look what I found!" He chirped merrilly while holding up the needed scroll.

Lee gave him his usual thumbs up while Sakura hugged him tightly. Naruto devised a plan to use his clones to throw off any pursuers and to bulldoze their way through any possible traps and teams ready to ambush them that might be lurking near the tower. He made 90 clones and made one third henge into Sakura and the other third into Lee, had them pair up and sent them in all directions into the forest while they made a beeline for the tower and safety.

_**TOWER CHECKPOINT 1800 HRS.**_

After a few hours, Team Gai finally made it to the tower before the sun set completely, finding that two teams had beaten them there. The Suna team had shattered the previous record, with Team 8 following close behind them. Team 8 found them resting in the contestant's common area and went to talk with them.

Hinata bum rushed Naruto and gave him a hug, which he returned. "Good to see you, Nii-san." She told the blond she saw as her family.

"I'm glad you're safe, Imou-chan." He replied, releasing her.

"Hey guys! You got here pretty fast, too. We only got here 30 minutes before you did, but man have I got info for you." Kiba told them as he related the tale of what he saw in the forest.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_ They had tracked a team of Rain nin to a clearing near the tower and were prepareing to ambush them until the Suna team showed up. Shino and Kiba decided to wait and see if they would weaken each other first until they made their presense known while the largest of the Rain genin launched an attack on the Sand Genin with a massive gourd on his back. Kiba thought that the smaller boy was done for until the sand around him came to life, creating a shield of sand to protect himself. _

_ The smaller boy gave the Ame nin a glare filled with Ki as he made the sand encase his foe like a cocoon. "__**SAND COFFIN."**_

_ Team 8 were rooted to their hiding spots by the Ki and were unable to look away at what happened next._

_**"SAND BURIAL!"**__ Gaara shouted as he clenched his fist, causing the sand to implode and chush the Ame nin to a bloody pulp. The now deceased genin's teammates threw their scroll over to the Suna team in hopes that they would be spared, but it was a useless gesture as Gaara repeated what he did to the first Genin to them, coating his surroundings in a shower of blood and gore._

_ His bloodlust had no yet been sated as he found where they were hiding and began to gather sand around them. His teammates were pleading with him to get moving to the tower until his kunoichi teammate finally got through to him and convinced him to move along, inadventantly saving their lives. After shaking off their fear, Team 8 moved along and scavenged the fallen team's scroll, rushing to the tower, where it was safe._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

Naruto involuntarily clenched his fists. He came very close to losing the girl he considered his sister in all but blood, his family. He couldn't let a Jinchuuriki like himself, albeit an unstable one, run around unchecked if he could help it.

"Hey, Nii-san? I wonder if otou-san is here yet?" Hinata wondered.

It was like a bolt of lightning hit him. The one person he was sure could handle someone like Gaara if he ever got out of control was inside the tower right at this very moment.

"Aniki...I need to see him." Naruto snapped, running towards the proctor's quarters to find Ichigo. Naruto transversed the hallways of the deceptively large tower until he found the quarters where the Jounin sensei and Exam proctors were staying and Ichigo was catching a quick nap.

"Uhnn...Wha? Naruto? What the hell, man?" The tall Jounin moaned groggily as he sat up in his cot. He was about to complain again until he noted the serious expression on Naruto's face.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a concerned tone. He was very worried that something bad had happened.

"I need to tell you something about that one creepy Suna-nin that's in this exam..." He began to tell his adopted big brother about what Kiba had told him about Gaara and about what Kyu told him, about the red haired boy being a Jinchuuriki like Kana, Setsuna, and himself, but far more unstable.

Ichigo thought hard about what to do. Should he pull Gaara from the Exam, he could sour relations with Suna and that was out of the question. Killing wasn't against the rules in the exams, so he hadn't broken any rules. However, he did agree with the fact that the Hokage needed to know about an unstable Jinchuuriki on the loose and in the tower.

"Naruto, I need you to go back to your team and have them avoid this kid at all costs. I'll have the Chuunin here inform the other contestants that make it here so that we don't have any incidents. I need to talk with the old man." He ordered in a crisp tone as he whisked from the room.

Ichigo walked along at a brisk pace towards the Hokage's office room until he ran into the person in question, who was up and out beyond lights out.

"You're out of your assigned quarters after lights out. Is there any reason for this?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

Gaara gave him a dead eyed look as he projected some Ki at the tall Jounin. Ichigo simply replied with a bored expression as he brushed it aside.

Gaara's expression turned into a scowl as his sand slithered towards the blond man, like a snake. However, the man wasn't stupid or weak.

Closing his eyes for a second and taking a deep breath, he opened them and let out a powerful pulse of chakra that could have been felt back in the village. The resulting blast blew the sand away with ease.

"I don't think so, Genin." He told Gaara, his tone serious.

Gaara looked into the eyes of the proctor and saw that they were glowing a gentle blue, surprizing him. _'Is he like me? Does he possess a demon, too?'_ He wondered until he felt his 'mother' speak to him.

_**"BEWARE OF THAT ONE! HE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN HE LOOKS! STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"**_ Shukaku warned its container, fear firmly etched into its tone.

_"Which demon does he have?"_

_**"I sense no demon in him...His power is all his own...and he's holding back! Do not fight him!"**_

Gaara's eyes went wide as he let his Ki die down, turning back to his teams quarters. He never thought that anyone in Konoha was that powerful except for maybe the Hokage himself, but if his 'mother' was frightened of this man, then defying him was a deadly mistake.

"Stay out of trouble, now." The Jounin called after the Suna-nin as he continued on towards the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama..." He said as he knocked on the office door.

Sarutobi opened the door to find his surrogate grandson standing there, the look on his face told him that he was there on a matter of extreme importance. "What has happened?" He asked as he let the young man inside.

"Old man...I need to know. Did you know about Suna having a Jinchuuriki and that he's here in the tower right now?"

Sarutobi sighed. "Yes. I knew about it, but I didn't think he was so unstable."

"I wish you would have told me about something this important..." He sighed exasperatedly, running his fingers through his hair and unconsciously fiddling with his headband.

"Is that all?" The old man asked.

"Hai. That's all." The blond replied as he turned away to head back to his bunk that he shared with Asuma, not really looking forward to his mumbling about his 'Nai-chan', in his sleep. Although he had to admit, if he had a tape recorder on hand that would make some awesome blackmail material. He says some pretty colorful stuff in his sleep.

_**TWO DAYS INTO THE EXAM, DECEMBER 4TH**_

Anko had just gotten wind of her old sensei entering the forest of death under the guise of an examinee and she was rushing into the forest to confront him. _'Dammit! What the hell is he doing here and now of all times? I just hope that Naruto and Hinata made it out alright...'_

Ichigo had already felt a burst of very dark and malicious chakra coming from the forest from the tower. It was far different from Kyu's chakra, which wasn't evil in nature, just dense and powerful. He didn't want to interfere with Anko's portion of the exam, but he wanted to go a check out the source and make sure that things were alright. With his decsion made, he embarked from the tower, homing in on the vile chakra signature.

Anko had finally caught uo to where the signature came from and looked around to find nothing. "Damn...Where is he?" She yell at the top of her lungs.

"My, my. My little Anko-chan is all grown up, and quite nicely if I do say so myself." A silky voice called out from behind her.

Anko froze when she heard the leering voice and felt her old curse mark flare up again, nearly paralizing her with pain.

"Orochimaru..." She snarled in rage, her honey colored eyes alive with hate and anger for the Snake Sannin.

"Why, it sounds like you aren't happy to see me after all these years, Anko-chan." Orochimaru told her with a mocking tone.

"What the hell are doing here?" Anko tell at him through her pain.

"Why, I'm in the market for a new body and you wouldn't believe the find I made." He told her in a sickly sweet voice that made her skin crawl.

"No...What did you do?" Anko breathed out unsteadily as she touched her curse seal.

"I found myself a nice little Uchiha brat and I decided to test him. He passed, so I decided to give him a little present." He replied.

Anko felt her blood freeze. If he got his hands on the Sharingan, there would be no stopping him. "So...You gave that Uchiha brat one of your little hickeys, did you? You always were a pedophile, you sick fuck." Anko growled out the snake man.

Orochimaru scowled for a moment before putting on his smug, arrogant grin again. "Such language, Anko-chan. And my preferences are none of your concern, although I must admit I didn't expect you fill out like this." He leered at her as she struggled to stand up while he advanced on her. She collapsed in a heap from trying to fight off the seal.

He lifted her face to meet his gaze. "Maybe I should have dragged you with me. Oh well, I guess this could be considered letting a fine wine mature." He commented as his eyes roved her body.

A massive blast of Ki erupted from nearby their position that made Orochimaru freeze. "What was that?" He asked in annoyance.

"I suggest letting Nee-chan go, you sick freak." A voice called out from above them. a blur snatched Anko from the Hebi Sennin and stopped a few yards away on a branch.

Anko opened up a bleary eye to see the face of her rescuer. "Icchan?" She asked weakly.

"Shhh. It's me, Nee-chan. You're safe now, I won't let him hurt you anymore." He soothed his sister figure as he set her down gently, placing his large overshirt over her for comfort, leaving only his tanktop and vest, before turning to face the fallen Sannin.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Orochimaru asked as he turned to take a look at his new opponent. He looked an awful lot like Minato for his liking.

"I am Ichigo, Ichigo Uzumaki. A jounin and the third exam proctor." He answered in a cold tone.

"Hmm, I didn't think that Minato and his little wench had another brat, but it is of no consequence." He sneered as he launched the first attack.

Ichigo stood stock still until he intercepted the blow in an eye blink, catching the fist and clamped down HARD, making the Snake man buckle. "I don't think so."

Ichigo started to release more and more of his power, up to 20% of his max as his chakra became visible to the naked eye and his eyes began to glow. Orochimaru's reptilian eyes widened in surprise as he wrenched his fist free and got back to what he deemed a safe distance.

"This wonderful power...I must know the secret. Come now, tell me before I kill you." Orochimaru called out in sickening interest.

"It's mine and I won't tell you a damn thing so you can go fuck yourself, Orochi-teme." He growled as he unsheathed his twin short blades and fell into a combat stance.

"Oh well. I'll just have to kill you and dissect you to find out." He shrugged, winding his way over to his opponent like a viper.

A normal ninja wouldn't have been able to avoid the snake's movements, but Ichigo can hardly be considered normal. Orochimaru stalled for a split second in shock that his enemy was so fast and nearly got his head chopped off, getting grazed on his face.

Orochimaru scowled at being cut on his face, but licked the blood off. "I can see that you aren't the normal pest, so I'll deal with you accordingly." He told Ichigo condescendingly as he spat up his Kusanagi blade, getting into a standard kenjutsu stance.

With snake-like speed, he lunged at the tall blond with a thrust, only to be dodged and countered by a pair of slashes which he ducked and broke away from. He slashed again but was blocked, or at least Ichigo tried to block, but the Kusanagi sliced right through his blade and cut his shoulder deeply.

His vision began to get blurry from the virulent poison that coated the blade as Orochimaru grinned smugly. "Nothing can block my Kusanagi." He sneered in arrogance as he turned to Anko, who was trying to come to the aide of her adopted brother.

"Settle down, Anko-chan. I'll deal with this pest quickly, then we can pick up where we left off." He told her in a sickening voice. However, before his could turn around, he felt a ridiculously powerful kick slam into his sword arm, disarming him and shattering the bone in his arm.

Ichigo was breathing heavily as he struggled to his feet, his Nanites still working to counteract the potent poison and was already getting his color back. Orochimaru clutched his shattered arm in pain as he rethought his actions. _'If this fight esclates, ANBU will begin to swarm in on the scene and ruin my plans.' _

"Alas, playtime is over, boy. I must be going, now." He said as he sunk into the ground and fled the area. Ichigo slumped to one knee as he let his Nanites finish their work and ridding him of the poison. Once that was done, he walked over to Anko and picked her up gently.

He noted that she had gone pale as she shuddered and shaked in his arms. "What did he do to you, Nee-chan?" He whispered as he bolted back to the tower in a hurry to get Anko seen by a doctor and the Hokage.

_**TOWER CHECKPOINT 1654 HRS**_

Ichigo arrived at the tower in a burst of speed that spooked the Chuunin helpers and Team 10, holding someone in his arms. Upon closer inspection, they found that the person was Anko and she looked very pale and sick. "Get back to your posts, NOW." He told the gawkers harshly as he proceeded to see the Hokage.

Naruto was walking down the hall to the mess hall that was inside the tower when Ichigo went storming past him with Anko in his arms. "Wh-what the hell happened to her?" He exclaimed.

Ichigo didn't even answer him as he kept up his hurried pace to Sarutobi's office. Naruto decided to follow him, knowing instinctivly that something went very wrong in the forest. Ino watched as the two of them hurried down the hall to where the Hokage was. _'What happened to her?' _Ino wondered as she and her team made their way to tthe rest area.

He kicked open the door to the Hokage's room and rushed her inside. "What is the meaning of this?" Sarutobi asked in annoyance until he saw who Ichigo was holding in his arms. Anko's curse seal was acting up for the first time in years and was slowly killing her.

Without wasting any words, he ordered Ichigo to place her on his desk while he prepared a counter-seal to ward off the corrosive effects of Orochimaru's curse seal. After a moment to get his special ink ready, he regarded Ichigo and Naruto.

"Hold her down. This will hurt quite a bit." He told the young men gravely.

The two did as they were told and pinned her to the desk and braced themselves for any thrashing she might do.

"This is gonna hurt, Nee-chan, but we're here." Ichigo told her softly. Anko gave them a weak smile as Naruto held her hand and Ichigo pinned her down. They both nodded, telling Sarutobi to begin.

On the first brush stroke, there was a hissing sound coming from her neck, where the seal was located and Anko began to scream in pain, thrashing wildly. Vile purple chakra began to seep out and was trying to fight the blue chakra that Sarutobi was injecting into the seal to suppress it.

"Damn...It's pushing me back." The old Hokage grunted. He just didn't have the chakra force he once had the first time he sealed her up.

Ichigo noticed that Sarutobi's chakra was beginning to waver and taper off, as well as the sweat rolling down his wrinkled face. He began to feed chakra at a strong but steady rate, forcibly subduing the vile chakra that the seal was emitting. Anko's coloring was already starting to get better, her breathing steadied, and her body stopped thrashing.

"Ah, thank you. This will be much easier now." Sarutobi told him as he proceeded to apply the counter-seal. After twenty more minutes, the seal was complete and the vile chakra had faded completely. She groaned as she opened her eyes once again to see the worried faces to her two blond little brother and pulled them into the tightest embrace she could muster.

"Thank you..." She whispered tiredly.

"You stood up to Orochimaru for me. That was stupid, but brave and you managed to match him and injure him. You saved me from him." She told Ichigo, thanking him.

"Don't mention it, Nee-chan. You're family, we'd go to the ends of the earth for family." He replied as he straightened himself.

"I need to get back down there and get things set up for the third exam. Rest up, Nee-chan. Naruto, are you going to stay here for a bit?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah...I wanna make sure Anko-nee is okay." The shorter blond replied quietly. Naruto deeply cared for her. Anko is his big sister in all but blood and was one of the people who protected him when he was little, so she was very important to him and anyone who harmed her would have to deal with him once Ichigo was done with them, although he doubted that there would even be enough left to clean up with a mop.

Ichigo wandered over to the armory located within the tower and replaced his totaled short swords with an ANBU ninjato. After securing his replacement weapon, he slunk back to the room he bunked in with Kakashi and Asuma to get some sleep.

_**3 HOURS FROM THE DEADLINE, DECEMBER 6TH, 1300 HRS**_

The time limit for the second exam was nearly expired when Team 7 and one other Konoha team came stumbling into the tower's resting area. Tenten saw the others and went to join them while Neji went his seperate way to drop off Sasuke with the proctors and medics, not really wanting to associate with them.

"Tenten-chan! What happened?" Lee asked when he saw the haggered state that she was in.

"Where do I begin?" She said aloud as she re-counted what had happened in the forest while Sakura saw to her injuries.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Team 7 had bolt through the gate and into the forest, taking the quickest route to the tower as they could. Along the way, the stopped to rest for a moment or two before they decided to have a potty break. Tenten and Neji met back up but Sasuke was lagging. After a few more minutes, he stumbled out of the brush, grinning sheepishly._

_ This odd gesture earned him instant suspicion as they rounded on the raven haired genin. _

_ "Who are you? Sasuke usually scowls and whines, he never smiles." Tenten demanded._

_ 'Sasuke' smirked before was eveloped in a cloud of smoke that was the sign of a Henge and a Rain nin revealed himself. "Ahh, not bad. You saw through my disguise. Now hand over your scroll and I'll let you live." He sneered._

_ "Piss off before I turn you into mulch." Tenten growled as she unsheathed the twin kodachi's on her lower back._

_ Neji followed suit by slipping into his Jyuuken stance, knowing full well that his teammates were nearby and waiting to jump in. The Rain nin before them started things off by pelting them with kunai, which Tenten easily deflected while advancing on him. The other two jumped down and attempted to ensnare Neji in a Genjutsu, but his Byakugan saw through it instantly and he took out the caster with a few well placed strikes. _

_ The other Rain nin saw his partner fall and directed his focus on Tentem who was dealing with his teammate. She saw him coming, and prepared to use the Kenjutsu Ougi that Ichigo taught to her during his month as her sensei. She waited until they were both within range and then she focused her chakra into her blades. _

_**"KENJUTSU OUGI : KAITEN KENBU ROKUREN!"**_

_ With this attack, she spun and danced as she delivered six lightning fast slashes, three to each attacker, taking them down hard. She knelt down in exhaustion after using it. Focusing her chakra into her blades like that was taxing and she wsa already a bit tired. She reached for a soldier pill and gulped it down, feeling its restorative effects._

_ Neji looked on in awe of the damage she had done in such a short amount of time. Some of the trees to either side of her has taken massive damage from her strikes as well, and they weren't even touched physically by the blades._

_ 'This is indeed an impressive jutsu...If she had used that against me unprepared, she could actually kill me.'_ _He thought in wonder until he felt a familiar chakra signature._

_ Sasuke jumped out of the trees and scooped up the scroll that the Rain nin had on them. "Thanks for doing all the work for me." He said snidely as he put the scroll away in his pouch and lept off towards the tower._

_ "Damn that little weasel..." Tenten seethed with anger as she and Neji tore off after him._

_ After a few minutes, they caught up with him and an arguement ensued over what Sasuke had done. "YOU BASTARD! You let US do the fighting for you!" Tenten screamed at him, only for Sasuke to scoff at her. _

_ "I just need you fools for the exams until I get promoted. Then, I don't need you anymore." He sneered._

_ The arguement would have gone on longer if it hadn't been interrupted by a massive gust of wind that tossed the Genin in several different directions._

_ Tenten herself landed in an area not terribly far from where she was and was going to head back to find her team when a massive snake appeared to block her path, it's maw gaping wide at her._

_ "Dammit! Not now!" She hissed as she reached for one of her weapons scrolls. She waited for the snake to open its mouth once again and it happened, only it to lash out at her to swallow her whole. _

_ "NOW!" She cried as she unleashed a torrent of weapons into its open mouth and striking its brain, killing it almost instantly. Glaring down at the now dead serpent, she continued on to find her other teammates so that she could get out of the forest._

_ She found Neji and Sasuke, on their knees in front of the creepy Grass kunoichi from the start of the exam. "Ahhh, another toy to play with. I do hope that you can put up a better fight than these two. Sasuke-kun here couldn't even give me a good fight." She drawled out arrogantly._

_ Tenten shed her weights and opened up the fight by using a stream of kunai to spearhead her attack, following it in and lashing out with taijutsu. The creepy genin deftly dodged the weapons with serpentine movements and engaged her. The bun-haired girl held her own for a few moments before she began to get pushed back. Neji was the first to regain his senses from whatever was done to them and jumped into the fray, backing her up._

_ "My, my...A Hyuuga. Dear me, what ever shall I do?" The genin mocked them with a smug expression as she began to beat the both of them back and ultimately knock them out._

_ The genin turned his attention to Sasuke. "Entertain me, Sasuke-kun. I've heard that the Uzumaki brat took you down. So much for the elite Uchiha." _

_ "Shut up! I'll KILL YOU!" Sasuke screamed in rage as he activated his Sharingan and lunged after the mysterious Genin._

_ Thanks to his eyes, Sasuke was able to slightly keep up with the snake like person's movements and put up a decent fight. Finally, Sasuke managed to deal some damage to him with some wire and a Katon jutsu. As the flames fell away, the genin's face looked like it peeled away to reveal a different face underneath. _

_ "Very good Sasuke-kun. I believe that I want you after all." He said and he made a handseal. He then extended his neck out and bit him above his collar bone, leaving a strange seal in its place. _

_ Sasuke felt like he was on fire. The seal burned with an agony that not even Naruto put him through on the bridge in Wave. Black, flame-like markings began to flare out from his neck, causing untold pain until they receeded. As his consciousness faded, the genin turned to him with a smirk._

_ "I am one of the Sannin, Orochimaru. Come seek me out if you truly want to claim all that you desire." He told Sasuke in a silky voice as he sunk into the ground._

_ When Tenten came around, she looked around to find Neji doing the same and Sasuke was out cold with a strange mark on his neck. _

_ 'Almost looks like a nasty hickey.' She thought as she searched his pouch to find both of the scrolls still there. She took one herself and handed the other to Neji, telling him that they should get going to the tower. With a nod, he hefted Sasuke onto his shoulder and they beat a hasty retreat to the tower._

_ A team of Oto ninja watched them as they made all haste to the tower, following them there in hopes of ambushing them before they reached safety. As luck would have it, they got the chance when they stopped to rest for a few moments and sprung their attack. The long haired Oto kunoichi named Kin threw a couple of senbon with bells attached that impacted behind Tenten. The weapons girl didn't waste any time in engaging the Oto girl as she closed in for the kill, putting her on the defensive with one of her sealed weapons, a pair of tonfa. Neji engaged the two shinobi, but was having a hard time due to a special gauntlet that the bandaged one called Dosu wielded. It amplified sound waves and used them to attack an opponents senses. In this case, the sounds caused Neji's equallibrium to be upset and sent him to his knees, vomiting. Zaku, the other Sound Genin, was all charged up with two special air tubes built into his arms and was ready to blast the Hyuuga boy until a wave of corrupt chakra washed over them. _

_ They looked over to the source to see Sasuke Uchiha, standing up slowly with a vile purple chakra enrobing him and flame-like marks creeping from his neck to cover his face. The Sound nin looked on wide eyed while his teammates watched him cautiously. They never fully trusted him and they had good reason not to. Now, his chakra matched his disposition, dark and twisted._

_ Sasuke began to chuckle, then laugh cruelly. "Yes...YES! This power! I want more of it!" He ranted maniacally as he turned to face the Oto nin._

_ "Looks like I'll get to test this new power right away." He sneered at them as he prepared to attack._

_ Zaku was the first to react by releaseing the air he had built up in his tubes. __**"ZANKUUHAA!"**_

_ The blast looked like it hit him, but Sasuke appeared behind him in a heart beat and broke both of his arms. He then turned to Kin and focused on her. She tried to defend herself, but he was just too strong for her. He pinned her down roughly to a nearby tree and eyed her up and down. "Hmph. Not too bad to look at. Maybe you'll help me revive my clan..." He drawled lecherously as he began to tear at her clothes causing her to scream for help. _

_ Dosu had seen enough. She may not have been a close friend, but she was his teammate and he'd be damned if this bastard would do this to her. He lept in and attempted to drop Sasuke with a sonic blast, but the Uchiha was too quick and ended up plowing him into the ground and went right back to what he was doing._

_ The initial shock of Sasuke's transformation had worn off and Tenten's attention was pulling in the direction of the kunoichi in distress. Visions of what Sasuke had done to Sakura raged in her mind as she took action._

_ "YOU BASTARD!" The bun haired girl roared as she surprised him with a powerful blow to the head with her tonfa that knocked him out completely. However, she didn't stop there, as she continued to rain down blows upon him until she was stopped by Neji._

_ "LET ME GO, DAMN YOU! I'LL KILL HIM!" Tenten raged until she go it out of her system, falling to her knees. Kin walked up to her and thanked her for what she did._

_ "Even though we attacked you, you helped me. Thanks for that. As for why, I'll tell you. We were sent to test Sasuke Uchiha and kill him, but we were duped by the one who gave us our orders. We'll be leaving now, and once again, thank you." Kin told her fellow kunoichi as she and Dosu gathered up Zaku and lept off. Neji once again shouldered Sasuke and Team 7 lept off for the tower once again._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

By the time Tenten had finished her account of what happened in the forest, the rest of them gaped at what she had been through. Their trips throught the forest seemed like a cake walk compared to that. They were all furious with Sasuke's actions in the forest and Tenten intended to make a formal complaint to the proctor when she saw her.

_'That might be kinda hard...Nee-chan's been through the ringer recently. Maybe Aniki can do something about it...'_ Naruto thought.

Sakura was trembling with fury. "So...Doing that to me wasn't enough for him. He went and tried to do it again...That lowlife bastard." She snarled with rage, just a hair away from bursting into triage and ending Sasuke's life right there.

_**TOWER TRIAGE CENTER 1407 HRS.**_

The Chuunin that Neji had dumped Sasuke on unceremoniously had dragged him to the triage center for treatment before the third exam started. These were among the very few that still believed in the Uchiha stigma and hype, so they made sure that he recieved the best care possible. One of the nurses noticed the seal on his neck and tried to alert the third exam proctor, but Sasuke woke up and stopped her.

"No. I have to keep going. If you stop me, I'll kill you." He told her harshly as he sat up and rubbed his neck. Standing up awkwardly, he staggered out to the exam grounds where the third exam would take place.

_**EXAM GROUNDS 1430 HRS.**_

Ichigo and Anko looked out over the crowd of Genin that made it through the forest and grimaced. There should have been more teams eliminated in that portion of the test, but they chalked that up to a good crop this time around. Ichigo cleared his throat and called out to the Chuunin hopefuls.

"AHEM! Welcome to the third portion of the Chuunin Exams! I am the proctor for this Exam, Ichigo Uzumaki! The Sandaime Hokage of Konoha would like to speak with you all before we proceed!" He announced in a booming voice that commanded attention.

Sarutobi stepped up to explain what the Chuunin Exams really are, a proxy war between the villages to prevent an all out war from breaking out. Indeed, it WAS a better alterative than going out and getting hundreds, if not thousands killed. Although, a few Genin didn't approve of being used in such a way. The Suna kunoichi was one of them.

"What? So we're here to fight a war?" She exclaimed until Sarutobi calmed her.

"In a sense, yes. You are representing your home villages in the contest. Lords, nobles, and other Kages will be watching your matches and depending on how well you perform, you will attract more business for your village, meaning more money and prestige. That, my dear young lady, is what I meant. Now, if that is all, I will turn this over to the proctor of this portion of the exam. Uzumaki-san?"

Ichigo stepped up once again. "Thank you, Hokage-sama." He thanked the old leader, then turned his attention to the young Genin.

"Now, you find yourselves in the Third Exam. This will be a series of one on one battles from here on out to test your individual strengths and abilities. However, since we have so many teams make through the forest this year, we will hold an elimination round to thin down the numbers a bit before we hold the final exam." He announced as he gestured up to a large screen.

"This screen will display the names of our fighters, selected at random. Some of you may end up fighting your own teammates, but if you want to advance, you must be prepared to fight. Now, if you would all go up to the waiting area, the selection process will begin." He told them as the screen came to life and started flashing through random names until stopping on two.

_ A/N: Chapter 15 done and over with. This chapter was fairly long due to how much I wanted to explain thing without a break. Ichigo finally proposed to Hitomi and now a wedding is looming on the horizon! Three cheers for the happy couple! This is one of the events that I was building toward from the first time those two met and now Kana and Setsuna will be getting a mother in their lives. I know that things with Sakura and Naruto will seem wierd to some, but remember that Naruto knows that Ichigo isn't his brother by blood. Naruto is really a Namikaze, by the time Naruto and Sakura's turn comes around, he will be told of his true heritage. Ichigo will keep the Uzumaki name and continue it down through his line with the girls, but who knows? Maybe a miracle will happen and Hitomi will be able to give him another child?_

_ Now we find ourselves in the thick of the Chuunin Exams. The happenings in the forest a different for reasons that are easy to explain. It's because I wanted it that way. Now, Orochimaru and Ichigo have met and fought, coming out as a draw. Orochimaru holds a massive edge on him due to his vast knowledge and experience, one that his massive power and speed cannot overcome very easily. Orochimaru has no idea of what he's messing with, however, or of his true power and abilities._


	16. Chunnin Exams : The Prelims

_Hey y'all! I'm back again with yet another installation of the Guardian Angel series. I'd like to say sorry to all of the people who like this fic and most of all to Karl Skywalker, who has been most helpful and supportive with his suggestions._

_Anywho, we now find ourselves in the thick of the prelims of the third Exam, this one run by Ichigo. I decided to do things a little differently and break away from Canon a bit more by switching around the matches a bit. Only ONE match is from Canon and even that is different. This new Hinata won't anyone push her around, least of all Neji._

_Enjoy!_

_**EXAM GROUNDS ARENA 1430 HRS**_

The selection board was flipping through names at random until it stopped at two names.

_**INO YAMANAKA VS. YOROI AKADO**_

Ino looked across the way to her opponent, a tall beefy Genin with sunglasses and a veil over the lower half of his face. Cracking her knuckles and steeling herself, she lept down to the arena where Ichigo was waiting for them, her opponent following after her.

"Alright. Are both fighters ready?" He asked the two of them, to which they nodded in confirmation.

Okay! First match! Ino Yamanaka against Akado Yoroi! FIGHT! He bellowed as he got out of the way.

Ino didn't charge in but instead she went into her Capoeira movements, settling into her rhythm as her opponent and everyone else but her team and friends watched in confusion as to what she was doing. Yoroi was beginning to get annoyed with her dancing around.

"So, is that all you can do, little girl? Just prance around?" He taunted, trying to make her charge in.

"Hmph. Maybe if you weren't such a wimp and come closer, you'd see something interesting." She replied in a playful, teasing tone that she was VERY good at.

This sent him over the edge as he charged in at a rapid clip. "Don't toy with me, little girl!" He yelled.

Ino's first move was to dodge the clumsy lunge by folding into a complete bridge and let him sail right over her. As he impacted the ground, the blond girl was already in a full handstand and let her heels whip out into a double heel slam, slamming full force into Yoroi's gut.

"So, What do you think about this little girl, now?" She told the groaning Genin on the ground. Ichigo went to check on the downed Genin, but he waved off help, shakily getting back to his feet.

You hit pretty hard, girly, but it won't happen again. Those legs of yours would probably feel really good wrapped around me... He told her with a leer as he charged her again. This time, he struck low with a foot sweep, but performed a back handspring right over it into another handstand. She then went into a full splits in the air and began to whirl around in a whirling dervish of kicks, pelting the much larger man in the face and jaw multiple times until she got in one final revolution, this time with all the power she had to finish the job. The kick from her powerful legs sent him careening to the side in an unconscious lump. She finished out the revolution and righted herself with a graceful pirouette like spin.

Ichigo checked him for a pulse and found one, but discovered a discolored lump forming on his jaw, indicating that it was broken. _'Damn, that girl's got some serious power in those legs of hers. I guess Asuma helped her expand further on the exercises I gave her.'_ He thought as he righted himself.

"WINNER...INO YAMANAKA!" He announced loudly as he signalled to the medics to take the downed Genin away.

From the railing, Orochimaru, disguised as an Oto Jounin, watched with a frown as one of his plants was defeated by a young girl, no older that 13 years old. _'I think I found my first sacrifice.'_ He growled mentally.

Ino lept back up to where her team and friends were waiting for her. Shikamaru and Chouji were VERY impressed with how she handled herself down there, along with an obviously proud and beaming Asuma. Ino turned around back to the one who taught her to fight like that in the first place and mouthed out a thank you, said man just chuckled and nodded. As everyone calmed down, the screen flashed through names again until it once again stopped on two more names.

_**CHOUJI AKIMICHI VS. KIBA INUZUKA**_

Both Genin hopped down to the floor to get this show on the road, getting into their respective stances. "You guys ready?" Ichigo asked, to whcih the both nodded, Akamaru included.

Kiba was pensive about facing down Chouji. Even if he was generally a nice guy, in battle he was a tank. That Nikudan Sensha of his would flatten him in an instant if he stopped moving and that's just what it would do to him. He shuddered to think what would happen to Akamaru if he got hit.

Chouji wanted to keep his team's momentum going by winning his match. He remembered back to when Ino started getting stronger and had learned that fighting style she just used. At first, she wasn't strong enough to do much damage with her attacks and lacked the endurance to keep fighting for more than a couple of minutes. Now, she could out pace both him and Shikamaru, as well as out fight them in hand-to-hand combat. One of Ino's kicks actually lifted him off of the ground and threw him a few yards away. Before, she dieted non-stop and was skinny as a rail, but now she actuaully had curves and her legs looked like they could punt you over the village walls.

His mind was called back to the present when the proctor signaled for the match to start. Kiba took the initiative and struck first, lunging in with in claws extended to score maximum damage from his blows. Chouji had thankfully gotten faster in his reactions due to having to deal with Ino as he dodged low, letting Kiba sail over him where he wheeled around for another pass. Chouji braced himself, but the attack never came. Instead, Kiba just let Akamaru down beside him while he put his hands into a handseal.

_**"JUJIN BUNSHIN!"**_

In a puff of smoke, Akamaru turned into a clone of Kiba and the two surrounded the portly Genin, waiting for the opportunity to strike. After Chouji shifted his weight a little to his back foot, the Kiba behind him charged in, hoping to take him down with one shot and spare himself a lot of pain later, but Chouji was ready for him, wheeling around using his family's signature justu.

"_**BAIKA NO JUSTU!"**_

The fluffy Genin then expanded to mind-boggling size, making the Kiba that charged in bounce right off. The stunned Kiba turned back into Akamaru and pulled back to his master. You okay, boy? He asked his dazed companion, to which the small white nin-dog barked.

"Okay, Plan B, Akamaru! Get ready!" Kiba called out as he and Akamaru tensed. At seemingly the same time, the two Genin charged in with their attacks.

_**"NIKUDAN SENSHA!"**_

_**"GATSUUGA!"**_

Kiba and Akamaru rushed forth in a pair of twisters while Chouji barrelled forward like a massive fleshy boulder until the two attacks collided in an explosion of dust and debris. Until all of the dust and debris died down, they had no way of knowing who won that bout of brute force.

"Come on, Chouji..." Shikamaru whispered, gripping the hand rail tight.

The dust finally cleared away to reveal Chouji barely standing and a laid out Kiba and Akamaru. In the show of brute force, Chouji won out, but sustained some injuries from the ripping action of the Gatsuuga that Kiba used, clutching his shoulder that was bleeding.

Ichigo walked over to check on Kiba and Akamaru to see that Kiba was only out cold from a mild concussion, Akamaru in the same boat as his master. _'I guess all of that mass was good for something. That kid's like a human tank.'_He inwardly commented as he walked back over to Chouji and raised his good arm.

"WINNER...CHOUJI AKIMICHI!" He announced to the crowd.

The rest of his team lept down to the floor to help their teammate back into the stands, Ino giving him a big hug. She'd tried giving Chouji some thought as a possible boyfriend, but he was just too much like a brother to her. It was never about his weight or size, but just how she was constantly around him. Shikamaru was the same way, although his laziness was a turn off. Nope, ever since she had that walk through Naruto's mind and saw everything that he was, warts and all, she was just drawn to him. However, her best friend, Sakura, was already going out with him and they were quite happy together. She didn't want a repeat of what happened when they fought over Sasuke when they were younger, that was why she backed off and there wasn't a day that went by since that she didn't regret it somewhat. She briefly thought of sharing him, but wasn't too sure about how Sakura or Naruto would take it, and just the thought of either of them not talking to her ever again was too painful to even consider. Shaking herself out of these thoughts, she was VERY proud of her teammate and the victory he scored.

Shikamaru remembered back to when he and Chouji first started in the Academy, how everyone would pick on him for his size. _'Heh...Look who's laughing now?'_ He thought.

Asuma was again surprised when another one of his students had won. He was glad that he began to push his team a little harder during their training, although Ino, he couldn't really take credit for. Something seemed to light a fire inside of her, one that drove her far beyond even what he thought possible for her. It sure as hell wasn't the Uchiha kid, because Ino hated his guts.

No one had the opportunity to think more on the subject due to the screen flashing through more names in a frenzy until it stopped on two more...

_**GAARA VS. MISUMI TSURUGI**_

Gaara looked at the board and now sported an insane, bloodthirsty grin. "Mother...You will feed soon." The creepy Genin said to no one in particular.

Misumi looked over at his opponent pensively. He had heard of what the demented boy could do and quite frankly, it scared the living shit out of him. It was like something out of a horror flick, some inhuman monster that killed without remorse.

The two made their way down to the arena floor, meeting in the middle where the proctor stood. Ichigo looked over the two fighters. Are you ready? He asked.

"Get on with it...Mother is getting hungry." Gaara stated in a dead tone.

"Y-yeah..." Misumi answered.

Okay then...THIRD MATCH! GAARA VS. MISUMI TSURUGI! FIGHT! He bellowed at the top of his lungs as he sped out of the way.

Gaara just stood there, staring at his opponent impassively. "I'm waiting." He droned, his arms folded in front of him.

Misumi may have been scared, but he also wasn't going to be taunted by some kid half his age. "You little bastard..." He growled as he lunged at the red-headed boy.

His first strike was a back-handed blow, aimed right at the face. It struck true, but on the wrong target. A shield of sand had seeming come to life around his opponent and was quickly attempting to swallow his arm. He frantically tried to pull his arm free, but it was like dealing with quicksand, the more you struggled, the more stuck you became.

Gaara slowly raised his hand.

_**SAND COFFIN...**_

The sand obeyed his command, wrapping itself around his frightened opponent like a sandy cocoon. It was slowly condensing, squeezing tighter and tighter like a bench vice.

"N-no...No!" Misumi begged, but it fell on deaf ears.

Ichigo was watching, ready to called the match, but Gaara's next move beat him to it.

_**SAND BURIAL!**_

With that command and a clenched fist, the sand suddenly imploded, crushing Misumi like an grape. Blood and gore splattered in every direction like a grotesque rain shower. Everyone else in the stands were getting green in the gills, a few actually losing the lunch at the upon seeing the pulped remains of the Genin formerly known as Misumi Tsurugi.

Orochimaru watched impassivley as another of his agents was taken down, killed this time. _'Good. Gaara-kun will work out perfectly when we strike.'_

Ichigo had to fight to keep from losing his stomach as he announced the winner.

"THE WINNER...GAARA!" He bellowed as he had some of the Chuunin that were helping out with the exams come out and clean up the mess. He knew that killing was techincally allowed in these exams, but that didn't mean he had to like it. The grin on Gaara's face was almost like looking in the face of pure evil.

"That...that was...horrible." Sakura stammered out, pulling Naruto in closer to her for some comfort.

Naruto didn't disappoint, pulling her in tightly while he stroked her hair. This...is what could have happened to me. I could have turned out like him... He whispered in a haunted voice.

The fact that Gaara was a demon host like him was frightening enough, but to see what he could have become really scared him. "_**Kit, I would not have let you become twisted like Shukaku has done to that boy's mind. Each of us Bijuu are different. Shukaku has always been insane and bloodthirsty. The weak seal that was placed on the boy allowed him to be corrupted. I would never do that to you."**_ Kyu told him comfortingly.

_"Thanks, Kyu. I mean it."_ He replied back to her.

Sakura couldn't help but overhear what he whispered. She had a feeling that if she hadn't changed or if Ichigo hadn't appeared in his life, Naruto could have become just like Gaara over time. It was a very real possibility, but she was glad that it didn't come to pass.

"No. You are not a monster, Naruto-kun. I know for a fact that you aren't." Sakura told her boyfriend comfortingly.

This seemed to put him at ease as he relaxed. "Thanks, hime." He replied.

Ino watched the two with slight jealousy. She wished that she was the one Naruto was holding tightly, to feel safe in his arms. She remembered back to Naruto's birthday, when she wanted to give Naruto a kiss from her, but held herself back due to her friendship with Sakura. She didn't want to encroach on her man. Hinata had backed off and was now his sister in all but blood, but Ino wasn't the type to give up so easily. Her thoughts went back again to earlier, the thought of telling Sakura her feelings and of sharing him, but again, the thought of losing both of them if something went wrong was too much.

Another watched with jealousy, but it was smoldering and obvious. Sasuke was grinding his teeth at the sight of thw two, holding each other tight. His objective from months ago was still unfinished. It wasn't the fact that he loved Sakura, far from it. It was that he considered her to be his property, like the rest of the fanclub he accumulated back in the Academy. To him, they were his breeding stock and he wouldn't just let one of them stray. He had already been using some of the others in the fanclub in the past few months, the ones that were fanatical and would lay on their backs at his beck and call, but he wanted more. He discovered that she wanted to take them against their will. I made him feel powerful and dominant. Now that he has this dark seal from Orochimaru, those feelings intensified. All of his rage, jealousy, lust, and hate only pushed him further over the edge.

The board scrambled through random names until it stopped on two more...

_**SASUKE UCHIHA VS. NARUTO UZUMAKI**_

Sasuke gave the blond boy a glare that, by his own estimation, could melt steel, while said blond returned the favor. Naruto had been dying for some payback as he felt that the beadown the night he attacked Sakura and back in Wave weren't enough. Inside, he was baying for the Uchiha's blood.

_'That asshole isn't getting off light this time.'_ He growled inwardly.

_**"Naruto-kun, be careful. There is something different about him, something evil."**_Kyu warned him. She could feel an evil, vile chakra leaking out of the Uchiha prodigy. If one had the Byakugan active, they might see a dark miasma around him.

_"Right. Thanks, Kyu-chan."_He thanked his tenant. Before he made his way down to the arena, Sakura stopped him.

"Naruto-kun, something's not right with him. Please, be careful." She pleaded with him, drawing him into a tight embrace.

"I promise you I will." He replied, receiving a kiss on his cheek to send him on his way.

Sasuke watched the two with a snarl of hate and rage. He lept down to the arena floor, wasting no time.

"When I kill you, dobe, your little whore will be pumping out Uchiha babies for the next twenty years." He sneered. He was confident in his new power, but it also made him even more arrogant than before.

Both blonds were enraged at his statement, but Ichigo had to let it slide. He could not show favoritism by taking Sasuke of of the tournament.

"Alright, that's enough. Are you two ready?" Ichigo cut in sternly.

"Ready." Naruto answered.

"Just start the fight, fool." Sasuke grumbled.

FOURTH MATCH...SASUKE UCHIHA VS. NARUTO UZUMAKI! FIGHT!

On the signal to begin, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, but Naruto had a counter-tactic that Ichigo and Gai taught to him in order to combat the Sharingan. After creating a squad of Kage Bunshin to engage Sasuke and keep him at bay, he slipped his hands into the Ram Seal, and began to gush out chakra at an alarming rate. Soon, the entire arena was flooded with his chakra.

Hinata and Neji both had the idea to activate their eyes and were startled at the fact that the floor was now like an ocean of chakra, obscuring the floor occupant from view. It had a similar effect on the Sharingan. Imagine the special eyes as a filter for chakra. Now imagine this filter receiving way more than it could handle. Naturally, it would get clogged, right? Exactly. Sasuke's Sharingan was now rendered completely useless due to the fact that the air around him was so saturated with chakra, that he was completely blinded.

In the span of time it took to realize this, Naruto had already closed in on his opponent and was unleashing blow after devastating blow upon the Uchiha. Finally, with a gut punch and axe kick combo, he planted the Uchiha's face into the pavement and backed off. For a second, everyone thought that the fight was over, but he was slowly standing back up, a swirling mass of black chakra surrounding him as flame-like markings appeared on his skin. He finally opened his eyes and leveled Naruto with an insane grin.

"Yes...This power again. I LOVE IT! GIVE ME MORE!" He cackled in evil laughter as the dark chakra licked around him like flames. "You will help me give this power a proper test, Dobe. DIE!" The now insane Uchiha screamed as he bore down on the blond with frightening speed.

Naruto was quick, but not quick enough, as he caught a kick to his stomach that threw him back a couple of feet as a barrage of blows rained down on him. Thankfully, due to training with Gai and Lee constantly, he was used to this kind of speed and could keep up, but since he still had his weights on, he speed was lagging.

Naruto managed to connect with a left cross punch to Sasuke's cheek and made himself some breathing room. "Damn..." He muttered as he looked over to his team. Gai knew what he was asking for and gave him the go ahead to release his weights. Sasuke noticed that he was fumbling with something, yet he instead chose to antagonize Naruto further instead of keeping the pressure on his opponent.

"I wonder what kind brat your wench will pop out if I screw her with this power active?" He wondered aloud in a mocking tone.

"That does it." Naruto snarled at the final latch for his weights released. A cloud of dust was kicked up as the weights made small craters in the ground, followed by a small explosion of chakra that was no longer tied up by the weights. In a flash of movement, Naruto had evened the odds between them and was beginning to push Sasuke back. After being riddled with rapid fire blows, Sasuke got fed up and let loose with another blast of his vile new chakra, pushing Naruto away.

"I'LL KILL YOU FOR MAKING ME LOOK WEAK!" Sasuke screamed in rage as he bore down on him again, this time much faster than before. Naruto was taken by surprize as he caught a vicious blow to his face that sent him flying back into the wall, only to have Sasuke appear behind him, driving a knee into his back that might have broken his back.

I'll make sure I plant my seed in her while you watch, dobe. Sasuke declared with a disgusting leer while he ground a heel into Naruto's back.

While Naruto was down, he felt Kyu talk with him.

_**"Naruto-kun! Are you alright?"**_ The demoness asked him with concern.

_"He's so strong...What the hell is that chakra he's using? It feels so dirty..."_

_**"I don't know, but take some of my power to fight it. He means to kill you, Naruto-kun."**_

Naruto sighed mentally, as he knew she was right. He didn't want to use her power in this tournament so he could show everyone that he was strong on his own, but now wasn't the time for pride.

A pillar of red chakra exploded up from where Naruto lay, blowing Sasuke back and everyone could see him rise to his feet once again, and man was he pissed. Every bit of Ki he could muster was foucsed squarely on the offensive Uchiha, making him buckle in fear.

All of the Jounin from Konoha were ready to jump in at a moments notice, ready to subdue what they thought was a rampaging Jinchuuriki, but they noticed that Ichigo hadn't moved to stop the match. He gave them a nod to tell them that it was under control as the match continued.

The rest of the genin were watching him with awe, as they could feel the heat from his chakra, like it was burning up the very air around them. Gaara, while watching impassively, was full of questions.

_"Mother...What is this power the Uzumaki possesses?"_

_**"That chakra...Heh, heh. Kyuu-chan, it has been a while. Now that she's in a container, it'll be child's play to dominate her like this..."**_ The Ichibi chuckled darkly.

Gaara had no clue as to what his _'Mother'_was talking about, but could only conclude tha Uzumaki had a demon like him, which made the demented boy want to fight him that much more.

Baki, the Suna Jounin, was beginning to sweat. If Konoha had a jinchuuriki of their own and it was more powerful than Gaara, their plans would fall to pieces. Gaara was the backbone to their plans and if he was defeated, then their actions will be in vain.

Temari and Kankuro both knew what that power was, as they had felt something similar from Gaara. The difference was that Naruto seemed to be in full control of his demon as his Bijuu chakra, where Gaara was barely in control of himself even when he wasn't using Shukaku's power. Temari was beginning to show a certain interest in the blond boy as a sly smirk spread across her face.

_'I thought he was a bit interesting before, but now he's got my undivided attention.'_The blond Suna kunoichi thought as she looked across the arena to see Sakura, making her frown.

_'Oh yeah, that pink-haired girl he was with. Oh well, I'll just have to show him what a REAL woman is like.'_ She smirked as she continued to watch.

Orochimaru watched the fight with perverse fascination. _'I never expected the Kyuubi brat to be so powerful. Being able to tap into the powers of the demon and not lose himself is remarkable at his age...But something must be done about him. If he learns to harness more of that power as he grows, he will become a threat, one that I can ill afford to let stand.'_

Sakura watched with worry. She knew that the crimson chakra's immense power came at a price and she knew that the experience would leave him drained. She also knew that he used it only as a weapon on last resort and this situation with Sasuke qualified.

_"I believe in you...Naruto-kun."_ Both herself and her inner thought as one as the fight raged on.

Disappearing in a crimson blur, Naruto began his assualt on the last Uchiha anew, this time with more intensity. The Curse Seal's powers wee beginnig to wear off and Sasuke felt the lag, his body now becoming sluggish as he sustained even more damage than before. After a minute of blows raining down, Naruto finally managed to score a critical blow, courtesy of a specific move in the art of Muay Thai called the Kao Loi. This move involved lacing your fingers behind the head of your opponent and driving their face downward while driving your knee upwards, smashing their face with your knee.

Sasuke was unable to get back up as the vile chakra left him, draining the last of his strength with it. He tried to stagger to his feet but it was a futile effort. His once handsome face now looked like ground chuck, his nose broken and bleeding badly, his left eye swollen shut and his right not much better, a massive lump was forming on his right jaw indicating a break.

"N-no...my power...give it back..." The wannabe avenger slurred out as he tried again and again to stand.

Naruto let his Kyuubi chakra die down and walked over ot the Uchiha, picking him up by the scruff of his shirt.

"Listen up, you son of a bitch and you listen good. You will NEVER touch her or even come near her or any of my precious people again, or so help God I'll kill you in front of the entire village. The council won't be able to save you next time. This is no threat, but a promise." Naruto growled out as he slammed the Uchiha's head back into the pavement, hard enough to knock him out.

_'Even with my gift, Sasuke-kun still lost? Impossible! I shall need to deal with that brat as soon as I can.'_Orochimaru screamed with rage in the inside.

Sarutobi, Anko, and the other sensei all looked at him with pride for not killing Sasuke when he very well could have, taking the higher path. Sakura gazed down at her boyfriend and, if their promise held up, her future husband, with pride. He chose the route of honor but at the same time, shaming the Uchiha in a manner that he deserved. Naruto let him live with the shame of defeat, a worse punishment than death.

Sarutobi, Anko, and Kakashi all nodded to each other, knowing what had to be done.

Ichigo held back a tear of pride as he raised Naruto's hand.

"WINNER...NARUTO UZUMAKI!" He yelled to the crowd.

With this announcement, all of his friends erupted into wild cheers as their good friend had put down the proverbial Evil Prince of Konoha. Ino wanted to follow Sakura over to him, shower him with affection and kisses that were well deserved, but held back, a sad smile on her face. Sakura noticed the expression on her best friends face, but made a note to ask her later.

Anko strode over to the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, now that the brat is knocked out, it would be a good time to seal up that curse mark. There's no telling what else could go wrong if we don't." She told him.

Sarutobi knew that she was right and couldn't wait any longer. "Anko, I want you and Kakashi to retrieve Sasuke and prepare a room for the sealing. I will be there shortly to seal it off." He ordered as she saluted him and went about her task.

Once again, the board flashed through names without fail or regard for the people celebrating.

_**NEJI HYUUGA VS. HINATA UZUMAKI **_

Neji sneered at Hinata in disgust while Hinata glared right back at him, surprizing him. _'That failure was supposed to be meek and timid...What's going on here?'_ He wondered as the two of them made their way down to the arena floor.

Hinata was aware of the Ki that Neji was putting out, but brushed it aside. When they met in the middle, Neji tried to stare her down again.

"Neji, I am not the weak and frightened little girl you knew anymore. I am not scared of you." She told him in a steeled voice that was filled with confidence and courage as she shed her jacket.

"Hmph. So, the failure thinks that she can defeat me with training from a mere commoner?" Neji sneered in derision.

Hinata smirked. Her confidence was throwing him off. "It was that same commoner, as you call him, that so easily beat the monster that has the nerve to call itself a father. He helped he find myself, become stronger and braver, made me a better person. I love him for that and I will strike down any who speak ill of him, especially you, _Nii-san._" Hinata replied, spitting out the last part like poison.

Neji couldn't wait for the signal to begin to be given. "I'll show you that trash is always fated to be trash, common scum."

Ichigo cleared his throat loudly. "If you two are quite finished, we'd like to get started." He told the two of them."THE FIFTH MATCH...NEJI HYUUGA VS. HINATA UZUMAKI! FIGHT!"

Neji took off like a shot, barreling in on her and expecting her to buckle now that the proctor would not stop him, but he got another nasty surprize. His initial thrust was parried outward, allowing Hinata to get inside his guard. She then wrenched down on his attacking arm, pulling him in deeper and slamming her shoulder into his chest with authority, sending him careening back a few yards until he rolled out to recover.

"No wonder you were a failure as a Hyuuga. Stooping to such cheap commoner tricks." Neji scowled.

Up in the stands, Naruto was cheering wildly for his Imouto. "Atta girl, Hina-chan! Sock it to 'im!"

Hinata looked up at him and smiled softly where Neji scowled. "Hanging around such garbage and dragging Hanabi-sama down with you. I shall put a stop to this before long."

Hinata's eyes widened slightly before they narrowed in anger. "What do you mean by that?"

"Only that as soon as the Clan council betrothes her to me, you will NEVER see her again." He sneered.

"She will ALWAYS be my Imouto-chan and I will always love her." Hinata countered heatedly.

"Not for long." He replied as he launched another assualt.

From the railing, Tenten's fists were clenched in rage. _'THIS is the one I had a crush on? He's willing to ruin little Hanabi's life to get at Hinata! That monster!'_

Hinata's defenses flared to life as she slipped into her Tai Chi/Jyuuken Hybrid style. For every attack that Neji threw, Hinata had a counter move screaming his way. This fight was nothing like he was expecting and her moves were nothing like the Jyuuken he was used to, nor was it the Goken style of ex-Sensei or ex-teammate Lee. She seemed to flow like water in a container, bending and twisting her way through his hailstorm of blows while having him reel back from the counter offensive she launched in return.

To everyone else, it looked like she was dancing in the middle of the fight, making a few boys blush. Her movements were indeed beautiful and elegant, her face one of peace and contentment all the while infuriating her opponent even more. Neji backed off to regroup as Hinata stopped her dance, coming to a stop in a stance that Ichigo taught to her called the Phoenix stance, determination once again taking over her features.

"What is this blasphemous style you are using?" He demanded to know.

"I combined a style called Tai Chi Quan with the Jyuuken to create a style that is mine alone. The Hyuuga are too arrogant and short-sighted to believe that other styles would be just as effective. I though that when Hiashi was humiliated, they would have seen that." Hinata answered.

"You bear the Hyuuga bloodline, as well. How dare you mock us?" He roared, setting up for the Hakke Rokujyuyonsho.

He lunged in to shut her down, but she was no longer there.

_**SUITON : MIZURAPPA!**_

A torrent of water erupted from Hinata and filled the arena with up to ankle deep water. "So, you would stoop to using Ninjutsu?" Neji mocked her.

"Well, we ARE ninja, _Neji dear."_ She sassed him from the wall she was attached to, throwing a kunai near him into the water with a wire attached to it. Ichigo knew exactly what she was about to do, but kept his cool. If he lept away now, Neji would be tipped off.

Hinata flashed through another short series of handseals.

_**RAITON : RAISEN!**_

A massive current of lightning flowed down the wire and struck the mini pond she had created in the arena. Neji had stood there, not knowing what she was doing until he was lit up like a christmas tree. The electrical shock was so powerful, that the current could be felt slightly in the stands.

Anko, who had just come back from sealing up Sasuke's curse mark, was watching wide-eyed, but with a wide grin to match. _'I knew I liked this girl for a reason!'_ She though gleefully.

"I'm glad I taught her that trick and about her affinities." A voice from beside her called out.

"AHH! ICCHAN?" She yelled at him for spooking her.

Nearby, Orochimaru watched with fascination for her choice of tactics. _'This girl is brilliant! How I would love to get my hands on her...'_

As the light show died down, Neji slumped over and floated face down in the water. Ichigo attached a wire to two kunai, throwing one into the arena wall and another next to Hinata's in order to ground out the latent current still flowing the water, making it safe to enter as he lept down to see if Neji was even still alive after his impromptu electrocution. Finding a pulse, he motioned for the medics who all shared a small laugh at how Neji's long hair stood on end while they loaded him onto a stretcher.

He chuckled a bit as he walked over to Hinata and raised her arm. "WINNER...HINATA UZUMAKI!"

The stands erupted in cheering and appraising looks. The Oto nin gave her looks of interest, while the Suna Genin had smirks on their faces, well, at least two of them did. Kankuro admitted to himself that she was clever and Temari respected her as a serious kunoichi, one that she would love to face herself.

Kurenai couldn't have been more proud of her student and the way she used her intelligence to out think her opponent instead of meeting him head on on his terms. She knew now, however, that Hiashi would be enraged knowing that the one he cast off had beaten his prodigy, and somewhat easily, too. Shino smirked under his collar. He knew that all of Hinata's intense training and studying would come in handy and Kiba crowed and howled his approval as much as he could with his injuries, Akamaru following along.

As she passed by Naruto, he wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'm proud of you Imou-chan!" He told her.

"H-Hai...Arigatou, Nii-chan." She replied, hugging him back.

Ichigo looked up at them with pride shining in his eyes. _'I'm so proud of you Hinata. You've come a long way from when I took you under my wing. Now, you've proven your strength to all present. I wouldn't be surprized if you made Chuunin off of this test.'_

They had no more time for celebration, as the board again flashed through names until it stopped once again.

_**TENTEN VS. ZAKU ABUMI**_

Tenten steeled herself to face her opponent, but inwardly she was cheering that it was finally her turn and could vent some of the pent up frustration and anger she had been accumulating. Zaku, on the other hand, was smirking, thinking that he drew an easy opponent. Kin was watching the girl that saved her face off against her teammate with some pensiveness. She knew of Zaku's less than gentle methods for dealing with ANYONE, much less an opponent.

Both opponents made their way down to the floor and faced one another. Tenten had only one thought on her mind after what she saw from both of her teammates.

_'This guy ain't Sasuke or Neji, but he'll do in a pinch. Just gotta let out that rage...NOW.' _She thought as she cast her opponent a withering glare, drawing her twin kodachi and readying herself to strike.

Zaku smirked as he crouched slightly. He had his arm in a sling, but he could still use said arm to project his supersonic blasts.

_'THIS is my opponent? This is gonna be easier than I thought! She don't know that this arm still works. I'll blast this chick!_

Ichigo looked at both of them to determine if they were ready. Once he was satisfied, he opened up.

"MATCH SIX! TENTEN VS. ZAKU ABUMI...FIGHT!"

At the signal, both fighters lept back and put some distance between each other. Both of them were ranged types, but Tenten had a slight advantage. She could also use CQ weapons and a fair amount of Taijutsu mixed in, making her a sort of all-range fighter.

Zaku and Tenten had never seen each other in action all that much. During their scuffle in the forest, he was too pre-occupied with fending off Neji to pay attention to her. He began to charge up his balsts to full power as he dodged a couple of kunai she threw to probe his defenses, but also to provoke him into attacking. She got her wish when he leveled both arms at her, ripping his sling.

Tenten froze for a split second. _'Wait a damn second! I thought his arms were broken!'_ She thought as she reached for her storage scroll.

_'I hope I make it...'_ She hoped as she unfurled her scroll for something.

Just as she summoned what she wanted, he released his blast.

_**ZANKUKYOUHA!**_

The massive blast hit the area where she was with full force, kicking up debris to add to the smoke caused by her summon. He smirked at his handiwork.

"Heh...That chick's toast." He bragged as he turned his back to where she was and was about to call for the proctor to call the match. Before a word even got out, a pair of chains screamed out of the dust and smoke, snagging their target and yanking him back into the cloud. All that was heard over the course of a minute was the sound of blows landing and a high pitched squeal of pain before it all went silent.

Finally, the dust settled down. Tenten had apparently summoned a shield and hid from the blast. She then used the cover of the cloud to summon a pair of chains with which to ensnare him and reel him in, where she then proceeded to beat the crap out of him. The final hit was to his nuts, due to the fact that while he was flailing around, he touch her breasts and she then punished him some more. His head looked like a forest of lumps and he also sported two black eyes, a swollen jaw, a bloody nose and lips that were fat form her abusive assualt.

_'Wow...She can really bring the pain when she wants to...Glad she likes me instead of hates me...'_Ichigo mused as he made his announcement.

"THE WINNNER...TENTEN!"

Kakashi let out a shrill whistle of approval at her victory, which she won without a scratch. "I knew teaching her some tactics would come in handy." He commented.

Lee was cheering wildly, at the top of his lungs, to the victory of his crush. As soon as she made her way back up the stairs, he wrapped her up in a tight hug. "Tenten-chan! You won!"

Tenten didn't look like she wanted the hug, but didn't look like she hated it, either. "Lee, you baka..." She told him fondly as she returned the embrace.

Yet again, the board began to flash through names again until it stopped once again.

_**KANKURO VS. DOSU KINUTA**_

"Finally. I was getting bored just waiting here." Kankuro sighed as he lept down to the floor.

"Hey, be careful out there." Temari called out to him.

"Heh. Don't worry, sis. I got this in the bag." He replied with a negligent wave of his hand.

Dosu lumbered his way down to the arena floor, fixing his opponent with a calculating gaze. His his head, he was sizing up his opponent, as he knew better than to underestimate an enemy if Zaku's match was any sort of proof.

The two met in front of the proctor, waiting for the signal to begin. They weren't going to dare pull anything in front of this proctor or the other one, this one due to the fact that he had no qualms about tearing your head off for disobeying an order and the last exam's proctor because she was insane. The first exam's proctor was equally as frightening.

Ichigo looked at them to see if they were ready to begin. Satisfied, he called it.

"SEVENTH MATCH...KANKURO VS. DOSU KINUTA! FIGHT!"

Kankuro leapt in with a backhanded blow against Dosu, who blocked it with his metal gauntlet. A simple flick to his Melody Arm, as he called it, sent a sonic attack to assualt Kankuro's ears, making him drop to his knees in agony.

"Hmmm...Seems as though you didn't really plan this out very well, did you? You certainly don't make any beautiful sounds in your agony." Dosu droned in a bored tone as he prepared to finish off his opponent.

Suddenly, Kankuro's head did a complete 180, a maniacal grin on his face.

"_**Did I?"**_He said mockingly as the person he thought was his opponent sprouted more arms and shed it's skin to reveal a puppet of some kind, snagging the Genin in an octopus like hug.

The package that was dropped shed it's bindings to reveal the real Kankuro, glowing strings attached to his fingertips that led to the puppet. Dosu's one visible eye widened in shock that he had been duped.

"You said I don't make any beautiful sounds in suffering, eh? Well, let's hear YOU do it, then!" He jeered as he commanded the puppet to squeeze even tighter. Soon, the sounds of bones creaking and cracking could be heard.

Dosu tried to avoid crying out in pain, not giving his opponent the satisfaction of knowing he was winning. Kankuro noticed this and sighed. "Trying to be a tough guy, huh? Try this then!"

With a twitch of his fingers, multiple spikes impaled the Genin's body like an Iron Maiden. However, this wasn't designed to kill, merely torture, as the spikes weren't nearly long enough to cause critical damage. As soon as he did that, Dosu let out an unearthly scream of pain, frantically trying to free himself, but only making his situation worse.

Ichigo decided that he had seen enough. "THIS MATCH IS OVER! WINNER...KANKURO!" He announced.

On prompt, Kankuro released his opponent, who flopped to the floor like a rag doll. Ichigo rushed over to check his vitals to see that he was still alive. He sighed when he still felt a pulse and motioned for the medics to take Dosu to the medical bay.

"Sneaky little turd..." Temari muttered as he passed her.

"Love ya, too." He shot back with a grin.

She had good basis for such a term, due to the fact that he constantly snuck into her room and snagged her eyeliner for his facepaint. No matter what she did to keep him out, he would always dismantle her traps, using them for spare parts in his puppets. Sometimes, it really sucked having a younger brother that was so mechanically adept.

_'God...both of my brothers are little creeps at different ends of the spectrum.'_The Suna blond mused exasperatedly.

Kin was up in the stands, a worried look on her face. _'I'm the only one left from my team! I can't lose!'_ She thought.

The board just kept on going through the names of the Genin that were left.

_**SAKURA HARUNO VS. TEMARI**_

Temari let a devious smirk spread across her face as she let her gaze fall upon her opponent. "This couldn't get any better...It's like pennies from heaven." She chuckled as she made her way down to the arena floor.

Kankuro had seen that look on his sister's face before. "Oh boy, I know what THAT look means..." The kabuki-clad Genin sighed. His sister may try to hide the fact that she's interested in boys to maintain her rough and tough image, but from living with the girl his entire life he knew that she was just as boy crazy as a normal girl and she had a certain blond in her sights.

Sakura was looking over at her opponent and saw that it was the Suna kunoichi from a week ago, but also noticed that her opponent's gaze was fixed firmly on her boyfriend, a predatory smirk spread across her face. A smirk of her own appeared on her face as she turned to HER boyfriend.

"Wish me luck, Naru-kun." She told him as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. Sakura returned the smirk with a confident grin that said : _He's mine, bitch._

Every female present knew exactly what the Suna blond intended to do and that was to jump a claim, assert herself as the dominant and superior female for her intended male.

_'Uh oh...Sakura's gonna go ballistic! That vein in her neck looks like an anaconda!'_Tenten thought.

_"Sakura-san looks like she's going to explode! I feel sorry for her opponent..."_Hinata commented to her sensei.

_"I know...This fight won't be pretty..." _Kurenai replied.

_'Oooooh, that desert floozy better be grateful I'm not down there...' _Ino mentally fumed. Naruto may not be her's, but she'd be damned if some new girl came out of left field and tried to swipe him away.

Sakura made her way down to the arena floor and met her opponent face to face, both kunoichi had a fierce look for one another until Sakura opened up.

"Back off. Naruto's mine, blondie." She growled.

"Hmph. Then I'll just have to show him what it's like to be loved by a REAL woman, not a little girl. I've got way more to offer than your puny little offerings." Temari shot back while tracing her curves with her hands to drive home her point, making it difficult for the rest of the Genin boys to stand up straight without showing that their little soldiers were standing at attention form the display. The Suna kunoichi was at least two years her senior and of course had a more developed figure.

"You'll have to pry him from my cold, dead fingers, skank." Sakura growled with a building primal fury.

"That's the idea, little girl." Temari grinned deviously as she winked up at Naruto.

All of the guys had their own opinions, but Kiba summed it up nicely. This is gonna be an AWESOME catfight! He cheered, albeit a little too loudly. However, the other males present, even Temari's brothers and sensei, had to agree that this fight was going to be nasty.

_**"SHANNARO! That Suna skank is DEAD MEAT! Rip 'er a new one!"**_

_"Damn right! That MY man she's got her eyes on! I'm gonna rip that whore to shreds!"_

Ichigo cleared his throat to get their attention. "Now, I hope that you two are quite done. We DO have a schedule to keep, after all." He told them firmly.

Sakura wilted slightly under his gaze, but knew that he had to be professional in these circumstances as she slipped into her combat stance. Temari brandished her fan, doing the same as they awaited the signal to start.

Once the two calmed down slightly, he began his announcement.

"EIGHTH MATCH...SAKURA HARUNO VS. TEMARI! FIGHT!"

Sakura wasted no words in rushing in to engage the Suna nin with her Taijutsu, hoping to catch her flat footed, but her opponent was too seasoned to be caught unaware like that as Temari blocked with her fan and pushed her away to get some breathing room.

"Heh. You've gotta do better than that, little girl." Temari taunted her opponent.

Sakura's blood started to boil as she lept at Temari again with renewed ferver, letting loose with rapid fire strikes, trying to find openings in the older kunoichi's guard. Temari was growing bored, as all she really had to do was duck and dodge behind her fan before pulling back an extra step. Utilizing this gap, she blasted Sakura back with a burst of wind, courtesy of her enormous fan.

"Dammit...Did that come from her fan?" Sakura mumbled as she regained her bearings. She didn't have long, as Temari sent blast after blast of wind at her opponent, giving her no time to rest.

"Is that all you can do, little girl?" Temari called out as she continued to unleash a hailstorm of wind blasts.

_'Dammit! I need to take out that fan of hers somehow...'_Sakura thought as she tried to think of a counter tactic, her stamina nearly at it limits from dodging so much. Suddenly, she remembered that Doton jutsu had an advantage of Fuuton justu and that Kakashi had given her a scroll with a couple of Doton jutsu on it, one defensive and one offensive.

_'I need to do this right...I'll only get one shot!'_She thought as she ran through handseals.

Temari was growing bored of just taking potshots at her opponent, so she channeled a good chuck of chakra into her next blast. I'm getting bored, so I'll just finish you now. I'll invite you to the wedding. She taunted as she launched her attack.

_'Almost...Got it!'_

_**DOTON : DORYUUHEKI!**_

Sakura managed to cast her jutsu in the nick of time, the violent wind howling around her, but the earthen barrier she created protected her. Not stopping to admire her handiwork, she was already forming more handseals.

Temari was stunned that she knew any Earth jutsu. _'Dammit! One of the things I'm weakest against and she can use it! This is bad...'_

The Suna girl wasn't given any time to really think of what to do next as Sakura had rolled out from her earth shield and had already completed the seals for another attack.

_**DOTON : ISHI SAKU!**_

Her next jutsu sent large chunks of rock that were once part of the arena, screaming at the blond haired Suna girl.

"Oh shit..." She muttered as she tried to make the stone slugs veer off course with a few wind blasts, but they were too heavy and coming in too fast. Before she could react, the projectiles had reached her. She was very fortunate in the fact that she herself wasn't hit, but she left her fan wide open.

"Oh god, no..." She wimpered. Her fan was completely destroyed. Her only method of using ANY of her poweful jutsu was now gone, as well as being a keepsake of her late mother.

Her grief turned into rage as she bore down on the pink haired girl that had managed to put up quite a fight. "You BITCH! That was one of the only things I had left to remember my mother!" She snarled.

"Oh yeah? You tried to take MY man away from me, you home wrecking harlot! Bring it on!" Sakura shot back as the two clashed in a bout of Taijutsu, Sakura's area of expertise.

Temari may have been more experienced, but Sakura was more skilled as a lot of her skills were Taijutsu based and Temari depended heavily on her fan for both her defense and offense. The end result was Sakura, after another few grueling minutes, finally landing a knock out blow using the Muay Thai that Ichigo had taught her months ago, using a high Kick that connected with the side of Temari's head, knocking her out cold.

Sakura stood proud, her battle dress ripped and torn from many close calls while she gulped down air greedily. The crowd was standing in shocked silence. Mere months ago, Sakura had been one of the many weak and useless fangirls of Sasuke Uchiha, but now she was a strong and proud kunoichi and was in love with the former dead last, who had also improved in leaps and bounds.

Baki, the Suna Jounin, was dumbstruck. He thought that Temari had this one in the bag, but her opponent from Konoha had proven to be a fordmidable fighter, and quite a vicious one, too. Temari made a grave error when she tried to muscle in on another kunoichi's man. He had seen many women nearly start the next Shinobi War over such issues and that Karura, Temari's mother, had similar issues. He saw some of the things that she had done to her rivals and it still made him shudder to this day.

All of the sudden, the stands erupted into cheers from her friends and the other sensei from her village, her team joining her on the floor. Naruto picked her up and spun her around in a hug before giving each other a quick peck on the lips.

"You did good, Hime. Real good." He told her.

She was about to reply until Gai wrapped them both up in a "Hug of Youth", squeezing them tightly. He was very proud that two of his students had triumphed in the prelims and were moving on, with Lee eagerly awaiting his turn. Ichigo himself was damn proud of how far the girl had come, himself watching her grow both as a kunoichi and as a person, as well as a future step-daughter.

After he cleared the arena, the board again flashed through names until they stopped on two more.

_**KIN TSUCHI VS. SHINO ABURAME**_

Shino was as emotionless as ever as he looked over at his opponent, his evaluating gaze burrowing into her from where he stood. It didn't need saying that the bug user made her nervious, as she had no idea what he was capable of, but she didn't really want to find out.

Kin straightened and braced herself while she made her way down to the floor where her opponent was waiting for her. _'I have to find a way to get away from that snake! He'll kill us all!'_ She thought as she went down to face her opponent.

The way that Shino's unwavering gaze never left her really unnerved her as they both stood before the proctor.

"Okay. Are you two ready?" He asked the two Genin, to which they nodded to the affirmative.

"Okay then. Let's do this." He replied clearing his throat.

"NINTH MATCH...KIN TSUCHI VS. SHINO ABURAME...FIGHT!"

Upon the start of the match, Shino lept at his opponent and took a wild swipe at her. She ducked away and regrouped, but Shino stopped pressing the advantage, making everyone wonder what he was up to.

"What's he doing?" Kiba wondered.

"I think I know..." Hinata replied, her Byakugan active. She saw that as soon as he took that wild swipe, he transferred one of his female bugs on to his kunoichi opponent and it was nestled under her Hitai-ate.

Kin was a little rattled at first, but was getting furious. "Quit toying with me!" She yelled, launching a fistfull of her needles at Shino. The needles all missed, but he then dropped to his knees. Up in the stands, Kiba was groaning in pain while Akamaru whined, trying to cover their ears.

"It's those bells she has attached to her needles..." He groaned out. Everyone from Konoha knew that Kiba, like all Inuzuka, have extremely sensitive hearing. So whatever was affecting Shino was excruciating to Kiba.

_'What? Is this a Genjutsu? There are more of her...'_ He thought as he tried to recollect his senses.

Kin smirked. "Gotcha." She whispered as she tugged on a thin wire that was attached to the senbon, making them ring again. Seeing him stunned, she bore down on him, intent on ending this match before anything weird happened. Sadly for her, her attack was caught.

"H-huh? How did you do that?"

"I marked you with one of my insects when I swiped at you before. I am able to use my other insects to tell which image of you was real and which were illusions." He told her while he let some of his colony crawl their way up her arm.

"They are now devouring your chakra as we speak. Without chakra, you have no chance of fighting back. Surrender." He told her.

Kin's pride didn't want her to give up, but all of her jutsu and skilled relied on chakra to pull off and she would be no match for him with both his bugs and more superior physical strength.

"Proctor...I resign." She called out.

Ichigo nodded and had Shino call back his bugs, which he did immeadiately. "WINNER...SHINO ABURAME!"

He noticed the girl was having problems standing and went ot help her up. As he did, she whispered into his ear something that was of grave importance.

"I have info on Orochimaru... I want to talk with the Hokage and cut a deal for me and my teammates." She told him.

His eyes went wide in surprize as he whispered back. "I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, keep your head down until I come for you." He replied, having her go back to the stands.

Orochimaru was watching, but couldn't hear what they were saying. "What did you tell him?" He demanded, still in his Oto Jounin disguise.

Kin kept her calm. "He was just wondering if I needed medical attention, but I told him that I was fine." She told her _'sensei'_ with a straight face.

He could tell that something was up, but there was nothing that could be done in plain sight. The Jounin from the forest was down there, as well as the Hokage himself and several other Jounin. He wouldn't stand a chance against them all and his plans would be ruined. _'I shall deal with her later...My prize needs to be further tempted.'_The Snake Sannin reasoned as he took off in search of his future vessel.

Kin had a different agenda on her mind. _'I need to find my teammates before something happens.'_ The raven haired girl thought as she left for the medical wing where her teammates should be.

She quickly ran down to the Medical wing and ran into a woman with bobbed brown hair. "Oh! I'm sorry about that, I'm just looking for my teammates. They should be down here." Kin asked politely.

Rin looked at her Hitae-ate and saw the symbol for sound. I'm sorry, but they were taken away from here by your sensei and I don't know where. He didn't look very happy. The Medic nin replied.

Kin's blood ran cold for a second. _'He couldn't have...'_ She thought.

Rin noticed that the girl was growing pale and grew concerned. "Are you alright, dear? Is there something wrong?" She asked.

"I-I need to go..." She stammered out, running back up to the arena.

Back within the testing arena, the board simply showed two names, the only two Genin that haven't fought yet...

_**SHIKAMARU NARA VS. ROCK LEE**_

Shikamaru's eyes nearly boggled when that fact sunk in. He'd remembered when he saw the Green Machine, as he'd been dubbed by his two teammates, spar with said teammates and he nearly whined. "Man...This is REAL troublesome." He grumbled.

"Aw, come on, Shika! At least give it a shot and get your mother off your back." Chouji told his best friend.

"Meh...I'd rather watch clouds WITHOUT being in a body cast. I don't even want to be a Chuunin, anyway." Shikamaru countered.

"Shika! Both Chouji and myself gave our effort! The least you can do is do your part!" Ino yelled at him. She wasn't about to let him shirk away from this without giving some form of effort.

Over with Team Gai, Lee was worked up into an excited frenzy. "Finally! My turn has come!" The green clad Taijutsu enthusaist crowed in glee.

"YES, MY BEAUTIFUL STUDENT! YOU ARE OVERFLOWING WITH YOUTHFULNESS!" Gai yelled as he and Lee had one of their _"Moments"_.

"I didn't even know it was possible to SPEAK in capitals." Naruto mumbled to Sakura, who sighed as she nodded in agreement. The other two members of the team knew that their teammate and sensei were a little screwy, but there was nobody else they would want watching their backs.

Asuma grimaced as he thought of the possible outcomes for this fight. Sure, Shikamaru was intelligent, but Lee had sheer speed, skill, and power on his side, as well as fighting experience and a tangible work ethic. For someone like Shika, Lee was the worst case scenario opponent he could face.

Lee vaulted the railing, taking the quick way down to the floor while Shikamaru was taking his sweet time, looking like he was being led to the gallows to be hung. Finally, Shikamaru made it down to the floor.

"I'm so glad you bothered to join us, Mr. Nara. Can we now start the match?" Ichigo said tohim sarcastically, to which Shikamaru grumbled.

"Everybody's a critic..." He groaned as he steeled himself.

"YOSH! HOW UN-YOUTHFUL, SHIKAMARU-KUN! I MUST IMPART TO YOU MY FLAMES OF YOUTH!" Lee ranted.

"Did he just speak in all capitals?" Shikamaru asked the proctor in disbelief.

"Yep. When you hang around with them a lot, you see some strange things." Ichigo admitted, then cleared his throat.

"TENTH AND FINAL MATCH...SHIKAMARU NARA VS. ROCK LEE! FIGHT!"

Lee was instantly in Shika's face, peppering him with a barrage of half-strength attacks. Even at half power, Shika still felt like he'd been hit and run over by a frieght train loaded with anvils that was Rock Lee.

"Man...This is beyond troublesome. This guy's like a robot or something." He grumbled.

"I see that I have not stoked your flames of youth yet. I must try harder!" Lee yelled as he began to run in a circle around Shikamaru.

Pretty soon, it looked like a small, green tornado had wrapped itself around Shika. Inside of there, Lee was taking potshots at Shika, some grazing him and others near misses.

"That's it..." Shika growled as he went through the seals for his family jutsu.

_**KAGE MANE NO JUTSU!**_

The small twister died instantly as Lee was caught in Shika's jutsu. Kage Mane, success. Shika grinned.

"Eeerrggghh...What happened?" Lee wondered as he struggled with the jutsu.

Shikamaru could feel the strain that Lee was putting on his shadow link, so something had to be done. He quickly decided to have Lee follow him to the wall of the arena to knock himself out. "Sorry Lee, but it's you or me, and I prefer to stay out of the hospital." Shika told him as he tried to force Lee to bash his own head into the wall.

"No...I will not let it...end...like...THIS!" Lee roared as his chakra spiked violently.

"Whoa...he's actually gonna do it." Naruto breathed.

"Yeah...I just hope he doesn't hurt himself like last time." Sakura replied.

Down on the floor, Shika recieved the shock of his life. "What the hell is this?" He asked, his tone wavering as much as his control over the Kage Mane.

"This...is the power of youth!" Lee roared once again.

_**FIRST GATE : GATE OF OPENING...OPEN!**_

A violent surge of power erupted over the floor, blowing away the dust and small bits of debris left from previous matches.

Ino was awestruck. "Whoa...I thought Naruto was the only one that could do that...Team Gai's got some real powerhouses!"

"You don't know the half of it..." Asuma grumbled.

Tenten was just was surprized. "Wow...What did he just do, sensei?" She asked Kakashi.

"He opened up the first of the Inner Gates. The Gates are like limiters, making sure you don't over tax yourself. but with the right training, one can learn to open these gates. I myself can open three." Kakashi explained.

"So why didn't you teach this to us?" The weapons girl wondered.

"Because it is extremely dangerous. if one goes too far, it could do immense and irreversible damage to your body, or even kill you. It's a Kinjutsu for a good reason like with Naruto's Kage Bunshin." The scarecrow told her, to which she nodded.

Down on the floor, Shika's control had just about run out. _'Damn! I can't...hold him...anymore!'_

Just then, he felt as him he'd been punched in the gut as he flew back and impacted the wall to the arena. He opened his eyes slightly to see a glowing fist, mere fractions of an inch from his face. He knew he was beat, so why fight it?

"I give up." Shikamaru sighed out. He'd given an honest effort and had the bruises to prove it.

"WINNER...ROCK LEE!" The proctor proclaimed.

Lee powered down and began to whoop and holler in glee, making his way back up to his cheering teammates. Gai couldn't have been any more proud that ALL THREE of his students made it into the final round. Asuma lept down to the floor and scooped up the worn and beat up Shikamaru.

"You put up a good fight. I'm proud of you for that." The bearded Jounin told his student.

"Yeah..." Was all Shikamaru could say in his daze.

The rest of Team 10 rushed their downed teammate with concern until Ino waved a smelling salt under his nose, which he shoved away as he regained his senses. "Man, Lee really did a number on you, but you should know that he went easy on you. If he went all out, you'd be in the infirmary right now. Goken users are no joke, kid." Asuma told his lazy student. He didn't really want to make him feel any worse, but he had to know just WHAT he was facing and that it could have been worse, FAR worse.

It was a mis-match, nothing that Shikamaru could have done at his current level would have allowed him to win against a machine like Lee. Lee trained himself into a coma on his light days while Shikamaru could barely be bothered to move around. Lee dedicated himself to his training as if it were a religion and he was a devout believer. Shikamaru was apatheitc about everything except Shogi and sleeping while waving off training and getting stronger.

Shikamaru saw where he had gone wrong. Chouji and Ino had both stepped up and buckled down on their training, resulting in their victories today. Smarts alone could only get you so far, as he just learned with fighting Lee. If this had been a real fight, Lee would have taken him down with his first barrage. Silently, he vowed to become stronger, to dedicate himself to his training more and stop making excuses for himself.

After everyone calmed down, Anko, Ichigo, and Iruka gathered together on the floor, Anko with a box in her hands. Will all of the winners of their matches come down here please? Ichigo announced, all of the winners complying with his instructions.

One by one, Anko walked up to each Genin and had them draw a number form the box. Then after they were done, she had them read off what number they had.

"One." Gaara droned.

"Five!" Lee nearly yelled.

"Ten." Tenten said, noting the irony.

"Six." Ino said confidently.

"Two." Chouji answered.

"Nine." Naruto replied, also noting the irony with his number.

"Three." Shino said in a monotone voice.

"Seven." Kankuro replied with a smirk.

"Eight." Sakura chimed.

"Four." Hinata belted out, obviously proud of herself.

As they finished, Iruka and Ichigo were writing down the names on a poster board and held them up high for all to see...

_A/N: FINALLY! The next chapter is finished! I'm sorry that this took so long, but I've had other projects and things that kept me busy. I also wanted to fit ALL of the preliminary matches in this one chapter instead of multiple chapters. I hope nobody flames me or just decides to stop reading just because I took some creative license with the match ups._

_Also, I would like YOUR input as to who faces who for the finals. Remember, Neji and Sasuke have both been defeated and eliminated from the final round. I will listen to your suggestions on who should face who! _


	17. Discussions and MotherDaughter Bonding

_Hey y'all! I'm FINALLY back with another installment of this, my longest fic. I've plotted and planned this one for over a year. Now, the Prelims are over with Naruto victorious over Sasuke, Hinata serving up a humiliating defeat to Neji, Sakura standing tall over Temari, Lee plowing over Shikamaru, Shino edging out Kin, Tenten beating the crap out of Zaku, Gaara crushing Misumi, Kankuro perforating Dosu, and Chouji out-slugging Kiba! A total change-up from Canon!_

_P.S: I had to fix some thing in the past three chapter that somehow got all garbled._

_**TRAINING GROUND #44 EXAM ARENA 1745 HRS**_

Iruka and Ichigo were writing down names on a poster board, silently discussing things with Anko as well as they continued to write things down. After a few moments of deliberation, the came to decision. The held up the board high for all to see...

_**GAARA VS. CHOUJI AKIMICHI**_

_**SHINO ABURAME VS. HINATA UZUMAKI**_

_**ROCK LEE VS. INO YAMANAKA**_

_**KANKURO VS. SAKURA HARUNO**_

_**TENTEN HAMAGUCHI VS. NARUTO UZUMAKI**_

The Genin got a good look at who they were slated to fight in the finals in one month's time. Gaara gave Chouji the same look a predator would give it's prey, unnerving him slightly before he bolstered himself.

Shino nodded to Hinata, who did the same in return. The old Hinata, the shy one, wouldn't have stood a chance against him. The new one, however, was truly terrifying to face directly and now that she knew some ninjutsu as well, she was dangerous at long range, as well. At close range, she could not only shut him down with her Jyuuken, she could also beat him senseless. At longer ranges, she had a small arsenal of Suiton and Raiton jutsu at her disposal, one of which turned her into a human bug zapper.

Lee was intrigued when he saw who he would have to fight, the Yamanaka girl. At first, he thought that besides Gai, Ichigo, and himself, they were the only Capoeira users around. Ino's graceful and brutally effective usage of the art told him otherwise. Now, he was revved up for a good fight with a fellow Capoeira user, nearly giddy at the thought. Ino was a little pensive about fighting the _'Green Machine'_, as Shikamaru had dubbed him. Understandable, since he was like a tank that could move a sonic speeds and had sheer power similar to Naruto's, although less controlled. However, she felt that if she could keep him from releasing his weights and trap him with her Shintenshin, she could beat him.

Kankuro couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. The same girl that managed to out slug and outsmart his elder sister was the one he'd be tangling with. Her ninjutsu was nothing to sneeze at, but her skill in Taijutsu was dangerous. Her strikes were powerful and controlled, not to mention accurate if she managed to own Temari like she did in close combat, but her stamina was lacking. He'd have to use Karasu to keep her at a distance until he could wear her down, but if she managed to negate Karasu somehow like she took out Temari's fan, she'd rip him apart. Sakura was thinking along the same lines as Kankuro. She was a smart one, having remembered how Kankuro beat his opponent. From what she saw, each of the Suna Genin relied on some kind of tool. Take out the tool and they were vulnerable.

Tenten was very nervous about having to fight with Naruto after she saw his fight with Sasuke. He was moving at speeds that she thought only the sensei could achieve and was very powerful, not to mention a trickster at heart. Granted, he was pissed at Sasuke for threatening Sakura and she knew he wouldn't have gone that far without a good reason. She had gotten stronger, MUCH stronger in a relatively short period of time, but wasn't too sure how much that would help her against someone like him. Naruto looked at her and knew she was nervious. He couldn't blame her, due to how he had used Kyuu's chakra to put down the Uchiha threat. It rattled everyone when he used her power like that. He just hoped he'd be able to explain this to her on his terms and avoid losing a good friend.

"The final exams will take place in one month's time at the Chuunin Exam Stadium. In attendance there will be various nobles and daimyo from many different lands, looking for new prospects. Fight your hardest and bring honor to your villages, along with more jobs and work. That is all, now go a prepare yourselves for what just may be the fight out your life!" Ichigo announced in a booming voice.

The Genin all assembled with their teams and sensei, minus the Sound team, who except for Kin, was nowhere to be found. Speaking of said kunoichi, she was immediately taken into protective custody by an ANBU team, Ichigo encouraging her to go with them and taken before the Hokage. Anko jumped down to meet him.

"I hope she has some worthwhile info on that snake." Anko told him while gritting her teeth.

"I hope so, too. Sasuke's not the only one he's after." Ichigo replied.

Anko's eyebrow raised slightly. "Oh? What else is there?" She asked.

"The girls...Kana and Setsuna. He wants them for the demons they house. I'll destroy him next time we fight." He answered, snarling.

"Those girls are MY nieces. That snake WILL die, little brother. We'll show him what happens when you fuck with the Uzumaki's." Anko agreed as they flickered out of the arena

_**TEAM GAI'S MEETING SPOT 1830 HRS**_

"OH, THE YOUTHFULNESS OF IT ALL! ALL THREE OF MY STUDENTS MAKING IT TO THE FINALS!" Gai nearly screamed in sheer joy, nearly making said students go deaf from being exposed at point blank range.

"GAI-SENSEI...SHEDDING SUCH MANLY TEARS OF YOUTH! YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL!" Lee fired right back. He'd been getting better as of late, but he still relapsed into his _'Youth'_crazes every now and then when he was excited about something. Before the exams, the last outburst was because he heard about a new Yukie Fujikaze movie that was in the making. She was his favorite actress, after all.

Sakura and Naruto both sighed, knowing their..._peculiarities_, as they thought back to their matches. Naruto scowled as he thought about all of the threats Sasuke made. Just the thought of Sasuke even touching Sakura made his hackles rise. During their match, Naruto had beaten the arrogant asshole into the ground, even with that freaky new chakra he was using. He was also told by his sensei that the chakra was caused by a strange seal that he acquired in the forest and that it was sealed up by the Sandaime and Kakashi. However, he knew that Sasuke was far from finished. His arrogant pride and swollen ego from years of pampering from the council had pretty much made sure he won't quit until he either gets what he wants or Naruto kills him first.

_'I swear I'll kill him if he tries that again...' _Naruto thought as he shook off the thoughts.

Sakura had similar thoughts about a certain kunoichi that had aroused her ire. The Suna kunoichi had crossed the line with her when she not only announced her intentions of trying to take Naruto away from her, but actually trying to drive a wedge between them. During their match, Sakura showed her just what she thought about those plans when she took the more experienced kunoichi apart piece by piece. Still, girls like her were hard to deter. Once they have the boy they desire in their crosshairs, even Hell wouldn't stop them from chasing him into submission, much like the fangirls she and Ino used to be.

_'It'll be a cold day in Hell before that desert floozy worms her way between Naruto-kun and myself.' _Sakura thought as she linked her hand into Naruto's, who returned the gesture.

The two were pulled from their thoughts as Gai and Lee recovered from their Youthful outbreak. Gai announced that he would be training all three of them for the finals and would split his attention between them. Basically, nothing changed execpt for the fact that he was be pushing them even harder than before.

"Training begins at 0600 tomorrow morning, so don't be late!" Gai announced with his imfamous Nice Guy pose as he sent them home for the day. The three Genin decided to drop by Sakura's house and tell her mother the news and then go to Naruto's house and get some dinner. Sakura knew that her mom would come along with them anyway since she needed to bring the girls back home. She had been watching them for the week.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 1920 HRS**_

The group had left the training grounds and arrived at Sakura's house fairly quickly, since it was somewhat close to the training areas.

"MOM! I'm home and I've got company!" Sakura called out from the doorway as Lee, Naruto and herself removed their sandals in the genkan and walked in. Hitomi poked her head out from around the corner to see her daughter and rushed up to embrace her, the little ones following after to greet their nii-chan and onee-chan. They were also surprised to see Hanabi there with them.

"Sakura! I so glad that you're okay! Those Chuunin exams can get very dangerous! I'm proud that you've made it this far on your first try!" Hitomi gushed while the two little ones bum rushed Naruto, who picked them both up in a hug, Hanabi lagging a bit due to the fact that she still has a lingering crush on Naruto.

"Did you two behave while we were gone?" He asked. He was asked to pick them up for him by Ichigo since he still had some business to handle for the exams and had to stay behind at the tower with the other proctors and the Hokage, coming home later that night.

"HAI!" Setsuna and Kana chirped as they answered in unison.

"That they did, Naru-chan." Hitomi answered them as she gave them a squeeze. The two girls had really warmed up to her over the past week with both girls even calling her Kaa-chan at one point.

They all decided to head over to Naruto's house to await Ichigo's return from the forest and hear the rest of what was going on and to meet up with Hinata, who was more than likely at the house already.

_**UZUMAKI RESIDENCE 1945 HRS**_

Hinata was already in the house and was preparing dinner when she heard the front door open to reveal Naruto, Sakura and her mother, Lee, and the girls. "Hey imouto-chan. You need help in there?" He asked.

"Sure, I could use a hand or two." She replied as he walked in to help out, the girls right behind him as Sakura, Hitomi and Lee set the table to eat. Dinner was always a family affair and Lee found himself invited to dinner more often than not, as the Uzumaki's considered him and Gai as part of the family. Lee always liked coming over due to the friendly nature of the family, as well as Hinata's top notch cooking.

Hanabi walked into the kitchen to see her sister happily cooking, with her two friends and Naruto lending a hand. She took in this scene for what it was worth. This was what a true family was supposed to look like. They weren't even related by blood nor were they a clan, but they were closer than her clan could ever be with all of the Hyuuga's strict rules and rigid codes of conduct. The Uzumaki's had fun while remaining tightly knit. She wished that she could be part of it.

Another half hour saw dinner done and on the table as Ichigo came in through the door. Hitomi nearly knocked him over as she tackled him with a tight embrace, the girls finishing the job as the fell to the floor laughing. Hitomi was the first to notice that his twin kodachi were gone and was replaced with a single ninjato.

"What happened?" She asked in a worried tone.

"I'll tell you after the kids are in bed." He told her in a whisper that he hoped the girls didn't catch, especially Setsuna.

They all sat down for dinner and Hitomi learned that all three of them made it to the finals and learned of who their opponents were to be.

"Really, dear? You're facing one of the Suna Genin and a puppet user at that...It has been a while, but I've faced a puppet user before. She was extremely good and I just barely managed to escape with my life. She was a very famous puppeteer named Chiyo, one of the best Suna ever produced. I was near the border of Wind Country when a Suna delegation spotted me in the area and mistook me for an attacker, however that was possible when my headband was in plain sight...Anyway, she told her bodyguards to stand back as she went at me herself. The point is, the key to attacking a puppet user is to isolate them from their puppet with this jutsu..." Hitomi told her daughter as she flipped through a trio of handseals and made her hand glow.

"This is the Chakra Scalpel. It coats your hand with a layer of chakra and will allow you to cut the chakra threads that a puppet user uses to control their puppet, making it useless. I'll inform Gai-san that I wish to train you in how to combat a puppet user, as well as some light kenjutsu that I feel its about time to pass down to you, should you wish." Hitomi explained to her daughter who had no qualms about it if Gai-sensei didn't.

"Alright, Hime. Now, you'll be a shoe-in for the semi-finals!" Naruto told her.

"I believe Gai-sensei would understand, Sakura-san! Hitomi-sensei wishes to pass along her youthful knowledge!" Lee cheered enthusiastically.

"I agree. It would definately be to your benefit to pick up a new trick for the finals. They've seen that you're quick and agile, as well as being able to pack a wallop." Ichigo suggested.

"Sakura-san, I can teach you an exercise that is used by the Hyuuga for this sort of thing to help you." Hinata offered.

"But, Hinata...I might face you in the finals. Wouldn't that put you at a disadvantage?" Sakura questioned, but Hinata shook her head.

"Family first. Always family first, rank second. I saw what kind of nasty traps that puppet has and it just won't do for it to maim you." Hinata explained, putting any protest to rest about the issue.

Hitomi then turned her attention to Naruto. "Who are you facing, Naru-chan?" She asked him.

"I'm facing Tenten-chan, but I a little concerned..." He admitted.

"Really? About what, dear?" She asked of him. She was getting a little concerned for the boy.

"You see, she saw me use my Kyuubi powers against Sasuke. I was worried about how I was going to explain this to her. She's a good friend and I don't want to lose her." He replied.

Hitomi understood what he meant. Naruto felt like he owed Tenten a huge debt for what she did for Sakura on that dreadful night and he wouldn't rest until it was repaid.

"I understand Naru-chan. This will be difficult for you, but if you want, I'll help you explain." She offered to him. She was getting more mother-like to him each passing day...and he found himself enjoying it very much. She soothed him down to his very core and Kyuu could feel it. She was very grateful to this woman who had such a calming effect on the kit. When he was calm and happy, she could feel it, but when he was sad, so was she.

Moving on, she talked to Lee next. "So, you are facing Ino-chan, are you? How do you feel about that, Lee-kun?" She asked the Green Machine.

"Ino-san is a truly gifted Capo user and I wish to test her to the limit! This will be fun!" He exclaimed. She could tell that he was excited to test out his Capoeira skills against another user his own age.

"Now, Hinata-chan. I hear that you will be facing Shino-kun? How do you feel about that, dear?" She asked the girl who would become her step-daughter.

"Well...We are very good friends with each other and with Kiba-kun, but we both know that we need to give this our all or we will only insult each other. He understands and so do I." The pale eyed girl explained confidently. Hitomi marvelled at the confidence the young girl now exuded compared to who she used to be months ago.

"That's good, Hina-chan. Very good." Hitomi replied.

Dinner eventually wound down with Hinata and the girls settling to get some sleep. Naruto offered to host Lee in his room while Hinata hosted Sakura in hers. The little ones all huddled together in their room, treating it as a little sleepover. The adults, however, stayed up to discuss what happened during the course of the past week.

"So, how did my little ones behave themselves?" Ichigo asked his fiancee. He was very curious as to what Hanabi was doing there with them at this hour.

"Well..." She began as she told them the tale of two of the Uzumaki sisters stay at the Haruno household.

_**FLASHBACK ONE WEEK AGO...**_

_"Bye, girls. Be good for her okay? Make sure to listen to Iruka in school and Hitomi here." Ichigo told his two littles ones, who nodded._

_"'Kay, papa!" Kana and Setsuna chimed in unison as they hugged him tightly. He walked up to Hitomi and she kissed him on the lips. _

_"I'll see you in a week's time, okay?" He told her as the parted._

_"Okay...Just be careful out there." She told him as she let him go to disappear in a cloud of kicked up dust._

_"Ne, Nee-chan...So what do we do now? There's no school today." Kana pointed out._

_"Oh yeah...Good thinking, nee-chan! So what ARE we going to do?" Setsuna asked herself as she thought. It then hit her._

_"Let's go find Moegi-chan and Hanabi-chan!" The half-pint jinchuuriki chirped to her sister._

_Hitomi watched the two with a chuckle. It reminded her of when Sakura was younger. She decided to follow the two to see what they would get up to knowing those two mischievous sisters. Moegi, she knew that the orange haired girl was the granddaughter of Elder Koharu and she already met Hanabi, the second daughter of the Hyuuga lead family. If anything, she would HAVE to follow them, if only to protect them from a vengeful Hiashi._

_'I'll never let that bastard hurt them.' Hitomi vowed as she lept off to babysit._

_She caught up to the little tykes near the Hyuuga compound as they managed to get in and out of the compound with Hanabi in tow without being seen. She smirked at how the girls were sticking to the arrogant Hyuuga leader without knowing it as they sped off towards the residence of Elder Koharu, where she assumed Moegi lived._

_Hanabi, Kana, and Setsuna all knocked on the door and Elder Koharu answered._

_"Oh, hello, girls. Are you here for Moegi?" The old woman asked._

_"Hai, Granny Koharu!" All three answered with the widest grins they could must. The old woman chuckled and let them inside. Hitomi knew she could relax here. Both of the Elders had ANBU guards, so the girls were safe. She figured that she would just go say hello and chat with the Elder for a while. She had been wanting to discuss wedding plans ever since the engagement announcement was made._

_"Oh, hello Hitomi-chan! What brings you here?" She asked._

_"Se-chan and Kana-chan. I followed them here, wondering what they were up to today. I just wanted to get to know my future daughters a little better." Hitomi told Koharu as they began to discuss other things, like the impending wedding. _

_Meanwhile, the girls all met up in Moegi's room, all playing a boardgame while talking about anything and nothing. "So, Moe-chan...You like Konohamaru, right?" Setsuna teased._

_The orange haired girl blushed brightly. "N-No I don't! Not like that!" She defended._

_"Oh really? Then why do you hang around him so much?" Hanabi teased some more._

_"This oughtta be good!" Kana added, intent on getting the scoop on her friend's secret crush._

_It was an ill kept secret that Moegi Utatane had a huge crush on Konohamaru Sarutobi and the girls knew all about it. Ever since Moegi met the Uzumaki sisters and got aquainted with Hanabi Hyuuga, they all became thick as thieves. To that effect, she couldn't hide anything from them if she tried. _

_Time passed by quickly, i.e a few hours. The girls were all getting a little tired and it was dark out. Hitomi decided to take the girls home and get some dinner in them. "I'll see you later, Koharu-baasama." Hitomi told the old woman in farewell as she created a Kage Bunshin to get Hanabi home, loaded the two tired girls onto her shoulders and flickered away home._

_Over the course of the next week, Hitomi and the girls got even closer, doing things that mother and daughter would normally do. She sat up and watched movies with the two, did some cooking, went shopping, etc. Soon, the two girls called her their mother after Hitomi went to the Academy to pick them up after a small incident with some bullies. Apparently, a couple of bullies tried to pick on Kana again like before, but this time both Uzumaki sisters sprung into action. _

_They had been learning Taijutsu from their father and their older siblings by mirroring them and copying their movements. The boisterous and lively Setsuna found Capoeira more to her liking while the more gentle Kana discovered Taichi was more natural to her. The two were outnumbered badly, but with their training and the added benefits from housing their demons, such as higher than normal strength and endurance, it was a moot issue. The duo laid waste to the bullies with minimal effort before Iruka and the other instructors could stop them. Iruka knew that they didn't start the fight, but he had to inform the parents or guardians of all parties involved._

_Hitomi arrived at the Academy quickly after she got a call from Iruka, like the other parents did as she went straight up to the office. There, the other parents began to verbally accost her._

_"Those little bastard children of yours are just trouble makers!" One mother, a fat and fussy woman, claimed loudly._

_"Yeah! Those brats are just as bad as that demon boy your little slut of a daughter is dating! A little whore...like mother, like daughter." A man, as skinny as a rail, sneered._

_Hitomi was normally able to reign in her temper. Not this time._

_"Those are MY children you are talking about. Those little girls only defended themselves from IGNORANT people like YOU and Naruto-kun is more human than all of you combined. My daughter made a smart decision in choosing him, one who would protect her till the very end and beyond. Make no mistake, I LOVE my children and I will not have idiots like you talking about them in such a way. I, like their father, will protect them and make anyone who tries to harm them pay with their lives__**.**__" Hitomi ended her little speech with a razor sharp burst of Ki as she held the offending man off of the ground by his neck. Since she began to train with her fiancee, her strength had grown in leaps and bounds and this was a testament to it. She wasn't even using chakra and she was capable of this level of phsyical power quite easily._

_The man wet himself as Hitomi dropped him to the ground rather roughly when she was called inside. The meeting went on without a hitch, mainly due to the girls generally being very well behaived unless provoked. Iruka never really had any problems with either of them so he had very little to report other than the fact that they are doing well, which Hitomi was pleased to hear. He even applauded the way she handled that nasty man in the waiting room. The other instructors were taking bets on how long it would take her to snap and Suzume-sensei won. She had been in the same class as Hitomi in the Academy and knew her well enough to know how this would have turned out._

_"Okaa-san? Can we go home now?" Kana asked innocently._

_"Yeah...We're kinda tired, Kaa-chan." Setsuna added, rubbing her eyes for effect._

_Hitomi was stunned to hear the girls refer to her as their mom. She honestly thought that they wouldn't refer to her as such for a little while longer, but she was nonetheless pleased to hear it. She really did love these two little girls as if she gave birth to them herself and in such a short time, too. _

_"C'mon, girls. Let's go home." Hitomi told the two as she took their hands into hers and walked home. _

_Later that week, Hanabi wandered up to her doorstep, looking for the girls. _

_"Of course, Hanabi-chan. They're in the kitchen, I just finished making lunch." Hitomi said as she ushered the knee-high Hyuuga girl into the house. She also saw a fading bruise on her cheek, but it was hard to detect. You had to actually look to see it. It looked like it was hastily covered up by someone to prevent questions from being asked. This had Hitomi concerned, bringing back memories from Hinata's encounter with her former father and the physical abuse he inflicted on her. _

_Unknown to them, a Hyuuga clan member had been following her to see where she had been disappearing to. He moved over to a window to verify if Hanabi was indeed there and was rewarded with his answer. Hanabi was sitting at the kitchen table, eating lunch with a pink-haired woman and two young girls Hanabi's age._

_Apparently, he ran to get Hiashi because he showed up on Hitomi's doorstep nearly 15 minutes later. Hiashi didn't want the fact that he was an abusive father to get out, as it would tarnish his reputation. It was a little late for that, though. His last encounter with the Uzumaki's over this matter left him with a 2 week long medical furlough and his name sullied. He was looking for a chance to get some measure of payback to avenge his bruised pride._

_"I want my daughter. I know that she is here." Hiashi declared in a stoic tone, his Ki glaringly obvious._

_"Really? Then if you're so concerned for her, what's up with the bruise on her face? You've got a lot of nerve striking a girl that's only 8 years old. Try picking on someone your own size for once...oh wait. You tried that already and got your ass kicked." Hitomi shot back. His Ki didn't faze her one bit._

_"I merely punished her for associating with such...vile trash such as yourself and these two little mongrels. I can feel myself getting dirty from just talking with you filthy commoners. She is MY child and I can and will do as I please." Hiashi sneered._

_"Hey! Be nice to our mom and our friend, teme-jii! 'cept for Hina-onechan and Hanabi-chan, you're all jerks!" Setsuna snapped, causing Hiashi to direct some Ki at the young girl and reach for her._

_Hitomi was in front of the girls in a flash, grabbing Hiashi's hand and wrenched down on it. Her emerald-green eyes flashed with anger as she shoved him away. _

_"Lay one finger on my kids or Hanabi, and there won't be enough of you left to sweep away." She snarled._

_"These brats need to learn to respect their betters, as do you, Haruno." Hiashi growled as he attempted to force his way past her._

_"Not one step further, Hyuuga. If you don't want to explain this incident to the Hokage, I suggest you leave here now." She told the arrogant Hyuuga leader, nodding to the onlooking ANBU that had crept up._

_Hiashi turned around to see two ANBU right behind him. Even though he couldn't see their faces, he could tell they were less than pleased with the way he was treating these citizens. Between the two ANBU and Hitomi herself, who is quite powerful and skilled, he decided to cut his losses. He couldn't possibly win. On top of that, attacking an ANBU without just cause, nevermind a fellow shinobi, would find him in Ibiki's play room in a eye blink and the CPS board was no longer in the Hyuuga's pocket. Sarutobi and Elder Koharu saw to that after the incident with Hinata. That rigged committee was how his abuse of his children ran unchecked for so long and now they were keeping a close eye on him. He left without further incident, but Hitomi knew he would be back. She immeadiately left for Elder Koharu's house, as she wasn't too sure she would be able to stop him._

_She explained the situation to Koharu, who wasted no time in contacting the CPS Agency. They sent an Agent out on her request to investigate the claim and found irrefutable evidence of abuse on the young Hyuuga girl. While he was there investigating, Hiashi Hyuuga showed up with three of his branch lackeys in tow for added muscle._

_"I demand that my daughter come out and come back with me." He demanded, but the old woman, Hitomi, and the CPS Agent blocked his path._

_"Hiashi Hyuuga, I am with Konoha's Child Protective Services and I have been called out here to investigate a claim made by your daughter, one Hanabi Hyuuga, at the behest of Koharu-sama and Haruno-san." The Agent told the arrogant leader._

_"I only instilled the proper respect for her station and betters into her. What I do is none of your business." Hiashi told him stiffly._

_"That is where you are wrong, Hyuuga-san. Any minor who is not a full fledged shinobi is subject to CPS protection under this new administration, regardless of clan status. As such, this girl has signs of abuse and add in the fact that you just admitted to it, I'd say that I have enough evidence to remove her from your custody, pending a more in-depth investigation." The agent declared as he fixed his glasses. _

_Hiashi was prepared to fight, but thought better of it. This was the home of one of the two Elders and one of the Sandaime's personal advisors. An attack here would be ill advised, as it would bring down the wrath of the Hokage directly upon him and make the Hyuuga look like traitors, like the Uchiha had proven themselves to be...And they were dealt with, with EXTREME prejudice._

_Hiashi glared one last time as he stormed away, leaving them to breathe a sigh of relief as he left._

_"Mr. Kokonoe, thank you and the board for such a rapid response on this matter." Elder Koharu thanked the agent._

_"It was nothing. Since our reformation and removal of all compromised persons, we've been after him for quite some time. I really must meet this Ichigo person that helped to set this all in motion when he beat up Hiashi Hyuuga and took his eldest under his wing afterward. I have to thank him for his part in getting these reforms pushed through, Hokage-sama as well. The child welfare system was a joke before and the orphanage system was woefully under supervised if they kicked a 5 year old like Naruto out into the streets. Those who take this line of work seriously are very grateful to them and this was a pleasure." He told them as he left for his office again to start the paperwork, leaving Hanabi in the temporary care of Hitomi while Koharu offered extra ANBU survailence to watch for any treachery from Hiashi. _

_She normally wouldn't get involved in clan affairs, but blatant child abuse was where she drew the line. She would deal with the council at a later date, since the Chuunin Exams would forestall any arguments and give them time to come up with a compelling argument, along with Mr. Kokonoe and the rest of the CPS office. Hitomi took the girls back to her house where she had two ANBU providing extra security where ever the girls went, their orders being to prevent anything from happening to them._

_Now, for the remaining two days, Hitomi was extra vigilant whenever she had the girls out in public. She had told Iruka about what happened and he lent a hand by keeping a close eye on things at the Academy. Thankfully, no other incidents happened and the day that the teams, senseis and proctors would return had come..._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

It had really been a real whirlwind week for the fledgling and growing family. Hitomi had proven her mettle yet again against the arrogance of the Hyuuga clan and the council, again coming out on top and without the help of the Hokage and Ichigo.

_'Yet another reason why I love this incredible woman...'_Ichigo thought. She really was an incredible and strong woman and he felt blessed that she loved him just as much as he loved her, that they were soon to be husband and wife. He kissed her gently on the lips.

"You really burned Hiashi's ass good, Tomi-chan." He chuckled.

"Yep. That arrogant ass had it coming and now both of his heirs don't want anything to do with him. I only hope that we can show her how a real family works." She replied as she remembered what she wanted to ask him.

"Oh, yes...I wanted to ask you about what happened out there. I've been hearing some very disturbing things about what went on in that forest." She told him, expecting an answer with her arms crossed.

"I'll tell you. You have a right to know about what happened out there, since this concerns the kids. In the middle of the second exam, Orochimaru struck and marked the Uchiha with one of his Cursed seals."

Hitomi gasped in horror. "Anko-chan has one...Did he...Of course he used it, didn't he?" She asked.

"Yes. He activated the seal. Anko went in there to try and confront him, but he took her down. I felt that something wasn't right, so I went after her. It's a good thing I did, or she'd be dead now, or worse. I fought with him...and we came to a draw." He told her.

Hitomi knew what he could really do. "Why? You could have finished him, I know you could have done it!" She exclaimed in a whisper.

"I know, but he's a Sannin for a reason and my short blades are gone thanks to him. I did manage to break his sword arm in return for him slicing me open and poisoning me." He replied, but saw the concern on her face.

"Don't worry. My body took care of the poison and injuries. After he ran away, I carried her to the tower as quickly as I could to get her treated by the Old Man. Naruto came with me and we held her down while Sarutobi used a counterseal to restrain the Curse Mark. It worked and she was up and running with a good night's rest."

"That's good..." Hitomi sighed in relief, but something about the grim look on his face told her that there was more. Much more.

"That's not all...He marked the Uchiha so he could take his body and use the Sharingan. He also has another purpose. He found out that Se-chan's here and he somehow found out about Kana, too. He wants them...as his weapons." He told Hitomi grimly.

Setsuna was walking about, getting a drink of water when she heard them talking and listened in, gasping as she remembered the circumstances that landed her in her new father's care. She was the one Orochimaru was after when he attacked Tsukigakure and he would stop at nothing to get hold of her if he knew she was there. She knew what those Oto-nin were after when they attacked and what he and Rikiya-jiji were talking about with the big wolf.

_'They're coming for me again...'_She thought guiltily. Hokuou interjected.

_**"Yes...They were, cub. The one called Orochimaru wants my power for his own purposes."**_ The Gobi explained softly.

_"Then...Tou-chan and Kaa-chan...might get hurt because of me. That Snake-teme might destroy my new home."_ The young girl lamented as tears began to fall. She loved her new father and mother very much and would rather die than let them get hurt.

_**"I think not, cub. He is strong...very strong. He is the most powerful human I have ever come across in my long existence and I believe that he can protect you. The female would give her life to protect you because she loves you and your sister very much."**_ The demon convinced her. He was used to dealing with cubs, having some of his own himself.

_"Thanks...Hoku-chan. I needed that."_She thanked her inner demon as she exited the mindscape to listen some more.

The pink-haired woman trembled with the kind of fury only a mother could have. She may not have known them for very long, but they were HER babies now, and even Hell wouldn't be able to hide their attackers from her wrath.

"Over my dead body." She hissed.

"Damn straight. They are OUR daughters and no snake will take them from us. I swear I'll finish the job if he tries." Ichigo agreed as he yawned loudly.

"Yeah, I think it's time for bed, too. Coming? We've go some lost time to make up for, big boy." She said in a teasing tone, grin to match.

_'Yet another reason I want to marry her...YOW!'_ He thought wickedly as he lifted her up bridal style and carried her into the main bedroom, shutting the door with his foot.

Setsuna shed a couple of tears at hearing them vow to defend her and Kana to the death. As she walked back to her room, she could help but wonder what the last part, about having lost time to make up for and what the groaning sounds coming from her dad's room meant.

_"I hope Tou-chan and Kaa-chan are okay in there. Sounds like they got tummy aches or something."_ She thought.

That little question caught the Bijuu off guard slightly.

_**"Oh, uh...They're okay, cub. Now, let's get off to bed."**_The mighty Gobi no Mibu said hastily, urging her to go back to sleep to avoid having to explain what those noises REALLY were.

_A/N: CUT! And...Print! I know that this one took a LONG time to get out, but I've had some inspirational issues, as well as life issues. I'm finally getting out of the Navy after ten long, LONG years and I'm starting a new life. I'll try to update as frequently as possible, but I do promise that I won't abandon this or any story without some kind of notification. I won't treat my loyal readers like that._

_Anyway, The Prelims are done and now everyone's home. The girls have finally been giving some screen time and some mother/daughter bonding took place. Hiashi is STILL a Teme. He took out his frustrations on his youngest daughter and now she's been taken away from him by the CPS (Child Protective Services, for those who don't know). My wife and I have worked through them as temporary Child Care Providers for children, so I know what I'm talking about and the fact that they take the matter of child abuse VERY seriously. I in no way condone this type of behavior and if I see it personally, I'll kick the living shit out of you. There. It's been said._

_Now, as a message to all of the Canon freaks out there, this is FANFICTION. Creative license is a MUST here. Authors have free range to have some creative freedom and more importantly, have fun writing these wonderful stories for you all to read. I think writing these stories gives an outlet for people to just vent or funnel their energy into something constructive instead of causing trouble, especially the younger generation. So, don't knock them so badly at it'll discourage them from writing. Be supportive with your comments and reviews, should you choose to leave them._

_This message has been approved by the I.D.C.K.M.A Committee. (I Don't Care, Kiss My Ass)_


	18. Pieces Coming Together

___Another chapter down...(Sigh...)_

_ Anyway...Sorry for the long delay, but real life was calling. If you need a recap, just read back a few chapters to get a feel for it again. Happy reading..._

_**ONE WEEK AFTER THE PRELIMS**_

_**DECEMBER 14th**_

_**HOKAGE'S OFFICE - 0800HRS**_

It's been a full week since the end of the prelims and more planning was underway. However, this wasn't a normal meeting, not in the slightest.

"Now, I want the contents of this meeting to remain a secret." Sarutobi told all of the gathered shinobi in charge of the Chuunin Exam, village defense forces, and the shinobi clan heads.

"From the intelligence that we have recently uncovered and from eye witness testimony, it seems that Orochimaru has snuck in during the exams and that an attack from his village, the Sound and from the Sand is imminent. They want to destroy our home in an attempt to garner more missions for themselves and knowing Orochimaru, they will kill every man, woman and child to make their point. There is also evidence that they had some help from the inside in order to slip in and get this far. Further reports indicate that a massive military force is camped just beyond the Fire Country border, consisting of over 300 Suna Shinobi and twice as many Oto shinobi." Sarutobi informed them gravely.

"Over nine hundred enemy shinobi? They'll overrun us in moments!" One shinobi panicked.

"Stop bein' such a pansy...Show some backbone!" Anko chided, smackimg him upside his head.

"It's all troublesome, but all we need to do is out plan them. We need to keep this knowledge a secret to let them think they have the advantage while we slowly build up our defenses. Judging by what that Sound defector told us, they plan to unleash their attack during the finals, with the Suna Jinchuuriki being the starting signal. She wasn't sure what the opening move would be, but that much she was certain of." Shikaku Nara briefed them all.

"And where is our little songbird?" Chouza Akimichi asked.

"She's down in our basement, in a hidden bedroom. We are keeping her out of sight until the day of the invasion so that they won't change their plans. She also mentioned that he planned to use summons to break through our walls and press their attack alongside the Suna Jinchuuriki." Inoichi told them.

"Hmm...That will be a problem. We do not have summons that could match their sheer size and power." Sarutobi mused.

"You've got the Toads, sensei!" A boisterous voice called out from a corner of the room. A shimmering shape stepped out to reveal the last person they expected to see.

"Ahh...Jiraiya. Good of you to come. Your homecoming couldn't have come at a better time, my boy." Sarutobi said, smiling gently.

"Ol' Bunta's been itching to get himself a snakeskin wallet." Jiraiya commented.

"I know someone else that's been dying to get her claws on that snake." Ichigo spoke up.

"That's right...Shiranui." Sarutobi murmured.

"Yes. I summoned her a few days ago and told her of what's been happening. The Wolves are on stand by to fight." Ichigo told them, but pasued to think.

"Yes? Is there something more?" Shikaku asked, eyebrow raised.

"I just remembered. I have something to speak with Hokage-sama, Shikaku-san, and the rest of the planners after the meeting. It has to do with added firepower, literally." The blond told them all.

"Are we not good enough to hear what you have planned, Uzumaki?" Hiashi scoffed.

"I just want to limit this knowledge as it is extremely dangerous. The fewer that know about this, the better." Ichigo explained.

"Hmph. Like any plans of yours is better than that of a Hyuuga." Hiashi sneered.

"Shut it, Hiashi! The lives of everyone in this village is at stake!" Tsume admonished.

"Maybe for your pathetic clan, but the Hyuuga's defenses are perfect. We need no one." Hiashi scoffed.

"Fine then, you sanctimonious, over dramatic asswipe. If you think you're so damn superior, then why are you even here?" Anko yelled.

"Obligations, you crass woman. I have more pressing matters than these trivial ones." The arrogant Lord scoffed as he left the meeting in a huff.

Tsume was ready to tear off after him, but Shibi held her back.

"It is his loss, Tsume. Let him go." He told her. She sighed and relented.

The meeting went on for a few more hours until the Hokage called it to a close. He told everyone that the information that was let out was to be kept top secret and the one to let it out would meet a gruesome end. Just before the remaining clan heads walked out, Ichigo called to them.

"Wait...You guys should stay to hear this. You too, nee-chan. You of all people deserve to know this after all the support you've given to myself and Naruto." He admitted.

"Well? C'mon, kid. Spit it out! I've got research to conduct." Jiraiya piped up, a pervy grin on his face.

"It's kinda serious, okay? I've been told about you, Jiraiya. A prevert's pervert if I ever saw one." Ichigo shot back.

"Got it in one, kid!" He admitted happily.

"Whatever. Hokage-sama, we should set up silence seals on the walls before I let this out." Ichigo sighed.

"I understand, my boy." He complied. Soon, the room was soundproofed and he began to tell them about what he really was and where he came from.

"So...You were like some glorified lab rat that rebelled against his creators? Then, you wound up here and NOW you're with that Haruno hottie, Hitomi? And getting married to her, to boot? Damn...I just found my next best seller..._Icha Icha : Guardian Angel_." Jiraiya remarked, half joking and half serious.

"Ugh...That's the long and short of it, but DON'T put us in one of those books, please." Ichigo asked.

"Uzumaki-san, you also mentioned firepower before...What did you mean by that?" Shibi asked.

"We'll have to go over to R & D to for me to show you." The blond told them as they filed out of the office down to the labs. Along the way, Ichigo held Jiraiya back to speak with him for a moment.

"I know." He said simply.

"Oh? And what's that?" The Sage replied with a question of his own.

"About your's and Tsunade's Godson...Naruto. What I want to know is why you weren't there for him?" Ichigo asked firmly.

"...That's none of your business, kid. Leave it alone." Jiraiya growled.

"Fine. We'll finish this later." Ichigo shot at him as they caught up to the group.

While they were talking, the other clan heads and Anko were still trying to wrap their heads around the unique circumstances that brought the blond to their world and what he was supposed to be...A human weapon. If they heard about all of this before they got to really know him, they would have been very wary of him. However, he had earned their trust, so this was a moot issue for them. They at least knew where he came from, now. Anko only had even more respect for him now that she knew the truth. She reasoned that it couldn't have been easy to deal with that alone and it was why he sympathized with Naruto and aligned with him so easily.

_**KONOHA R & D LABS - 1304 HRS**_

Finally, they made it to R & D, where Shiho, the lab girl from before, was waiting to greet them. She waved them in and winked at Ichigo, their last meeting still in his mind as he blushed slightly.

"We're here to see the weapons that I brought to you. I want to use them soon." Ichigo declared.

"You see...The lab guys got a little slap happy with breaking them down to study them, so we kinda...heh heh...Don't have any that work right now?" She said innocently.

"How long until your guys can slap them back together, or will I have to repair them myself?" Ichigo asked.

"I think we can do it. We didn't really do all that much, since most of the weapons had such simple mechanisms. I think that was what the designers had in mind, though. Simply ingenious..." Shiho muttered.

"Yes, but how long will it take?" Sarutobi asked.

"Inside of a week to get at least a few of them into working order along with carrying out our regular duties. The other weapons that had the other strange writings on them were more complex and some of the parts were cheaply made, so some of them might not work." Shiho told them.

"Those would be the CRA weapons. I never liked using them since they had a tendency to jam or break since they perferred quantity over quality. Don't worry about them too much. The others will be more than enough. After this, I want to seal them away and hide them to keep them out of the wrong hands. Take an inventory of them and submit a copy to me so we will know if any turn up missing. Again, do not tell ANYONE about these weapons. Danzou would sell his soul to get his hands on them." Ichigo instructed as he turned back to the rest of the party.

"Shit...There goes that idea." Ichigo muttered.

"You were planning on using those weapons you came here with?" Sarutobi asked.

"Yeah...I was. I won't be able to equip some of our ninja with them, but I might still be able to use one or two of the heavier weapons to tip the scales in our favor. Also, we still have two summons that can match the snakes in sheer size and power, the Toads and the Wolves. We can have myself and Jiraiya summon the larger Toads and Wolves should the need arise. Gamabunta and Shiranui we will keep in reserve in case Manda gets summoned." Ichigo proposed.

"Whoa...Hold on there. Who said I was gonna stay to fight?" Jiraiya asked.

"This is your home, too. The home YOUR student died protecting." Ichigo reminded him.

"Wait...How do you even know these things? You shouldn't know them..." Jiraiya said defensively.

"Hokage-jii, do you mind if I related HOW I know these things?" Ichigo asked.

"The present company can be trusted, but I do not wish Naruto to know until after the exams. That way he can fight with a clear head." Sarutobi instructed, looking around for a room to use. He found one and ushered them all inside and set up the silence barrier to prevent eavesdroppers. After this was all done, he prompted the younger Jounin to continue.

"I know who his parents are, Jiraiya, and you have thirteen years to make up for. Minato and Kushina aren't too happy with how you practically abandoned their child, but you aren't alone in this. Tsunade has a lot to answer for, too. As for HOW I came into possession of this information, it was through a dream. Minato and Kushina visited me and told me the whole story and who was really behind the Kyuubi attack. They also thanked myself and everyone else who helped Naruto along the way and since I bore her clan name, she saw fit to accept me as her son. I...was honored to accept since I never knew my own parents." Ichigo said as he told them everything else, slightly tearing up at the last part.

The hard facts were hard to refute. He knew things he couldn't possibly know...things that only Minato and Kushina could have told him. To his credit, he kept the secret to himself until now, when they were in need of such knowledge.

The rest of the clan heads were surprized at what was revealed, but then again...they weren't. Naruto looked like a carbon copy of their beloved Hokage and dear friend, while his demeanor was cut from Kushina's cloth. Tsume had a gut feeling all along and that was why she strived to do everything she could for him, same as many of the other clan heads. They kenw that Jiraiya had come into the village periodically to deliver reports, but had never even seen his Godson, nor lent him any sort of aid. He was more than capable of providing for him, since his Icha Icha series had brought him massive wealth and he had the savvy to sneak him the things he needed to survive...But he didn't and that raised some serious questions.

"I had my duties to perform! You have no right to..." Jiraiya raised his voice but was cut off.

"He had no one there to protect him! You abandoned him and now you're trying to ditch your guilt! The moment I arrived here, I found a kindred spirit within him...Someone who had suffered for the crime of being different...Being seen as something less than human by the people we protected, just like me and I'd be damned if I let him go it alone like I had to! I've every right to say these things since I've been protecting and helping him from the moment I met him!" Ichigo hollared back. His argument struck a chord within the Toad Sage, who looked away with shame in his eyes.

"What was I supposed to do, huh? I loved Minato as if he were my own SON! I watched as he commited suicide to protect this ungrateful village and Kushina, who was like a daughter-in-law, died alongside him! A life on the road would have been WAY too dangerous for an infant and I thought that Tsunade would have taken him in!" Jiraiya fired right back.

"Shut up, you pervy old fart! Naruto needed you and you weren't there for him! I love that boy like he were my own flesh and blood! I've been protecting him as much as that goddamn council would let me! We've put our asses and careers on the line for him more times than we could count, so don't DARE feed us these excuses, goddamn you!" Anko snarled at him, tears forming in her honey colored eyes.

"Anko is quite right, Jiraiya. You have delinquent in his life for far too long and you have been running away from your REAL responsibilities. These two took it upon themselves to help him with the aid of several others, directly and indirectly. It was only after Ichigo-san's direct intervention that things began to change for the boy, change for the better." Shibi spoke out in rare form. He rarely ever said so much at once, but this needed to be said.

"Ah...I think we need to leave now." Shikaku said aloud, the rest of the heads agreeing with him.

"But...But I...Sensei!" Jiraiya floundered for words, but Sarutobi stepped in.

"It's time that you stopped running, Jiraiya. Naruto needs you. Only you can teach him the skills that are his birthright. Ichigo here has been a wonderful teacher and guardian for him, but this time, he needs your help." Sarutobi told him.

"Yes...I've taught him all that I can. The things he really needs...He can only learn from you." Ichigo told him, his head held low.

"I've never...NEVER begged for anything in my life, but if it means that he will gain access to the skills he will need, then my pride is a small price to pay." He added.

"H-hey...I never said I wouldn't teach him...It's just...he looks just like him and it's...kind of painful looking at him." Jiraiya admitted.

"I know about pain...I've had to destroy my own kind to let them have the eternal peace they deserved. I am the last of my kind...by my own hand. But you know what? I fought on and gained a family to care for. I'm going to get married soon, I adopted two wonderful little girls and took over guardianship of another, with Naruto on top of that. I found things worth living for. I got over my pain and Naruto and Anko did the same...You can, too." Ichigo told him to reinforce the fact that others had suffered worse than him.

"You made your point...I'll contact him directly and begin his training." Jiraiya answered but before anyone said anything else he had another question.

Does he know about the Kyuubi?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes he does. She's actually very kind to him and sees him as her own child at times. She even grants him access to her chakra should he need it." Ichigo explained.

"Hmm...I've only heard of this happening once. One of the Jinchuuriki that Kumo has has complete control over his demon, but they're also on good terms. From what I've seen and heard, the others don't have that, or they disappeared years ago. The only two that aren't accounted for are the Five Tails and Seven Tails." Jiraiya mused while rubbing his chin.

Sarutobi, Anko, and Ichigo all looked at each other, wondering if they should tell him or not.

"What?" Jiraiya asked, noticing their pensive looks.

"Jiraiya...What I'm about to tell you WILL be kept a secret, or the world's going to be less one pervert." Ichigo threatened.

"Whatever, kid. What's that important?" Jiraiya scoffed.

"Dammit, we're serious! If word about them gets out, they'll be used as breeders or worse! And if that happens, I'll pin you down by your testicles while I peel your skin off your ass layer by layer with a wood shaver coated with lemon juice!" Anko shouted.

Jiraiya paled at the thought as he nodded so quickly, he looked like a giant bobble head.

"Now...Remember when I told you that I adopted two little girls?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah...I do. Wait a minute...You mean that the previous hosts died and those two are the new hosts?" The Sannin asked incredulously.

"Yes. They are MY daughters...and Orochimaru's other targets. Setsuna...I found her while on a mission to defend the now destroyed Tsukigakure. She was with an old man named Rikiya and both of them were on the run from Oto shinobi. Orochimaru got there first and laid waste. She was what he was searching for so that he could mold her into a killing machine. That was also where I came to possess the Wolf Contract. Rikiya-sensei gave it to me to sign and safeguard. Kana was already here, right under our noses. When I took Setsuna to register for the Academy, she was being picked on for being a foreginer when Setsuna defended her. It was the Gobi inside of Setsuna that detected the Shichibi inside Kana and we found her seal, which is located on her back. I immeadiately adopted her, too, to keep them safe and to raise them as my own. I love them both and I'll destroy anyone that is a threat to them...**ANYONE**." Ichigon told them all.

"I see...Orochimaru nevers stops until he gets what he wants and damn everything in his way. I've heard of Rikiya, the Wolf Sage and since he passed the contract down to you, you are now the new Wolf Sage and this will help even the odds in our favor. We need to keep those two in a place where we can protect them better. The stadium is a good place since the Genjutsu Inhibitor seals that I'll place will weaken any surprize attack they might try to mount...and I volunteer to guard my new granddaughters." Jiraiya declared. He felt that he owed much to this man, who was now proven to be the adopted son of his student, so this was the least he could do. On top of that, being part of a family sounded nice, having Grandchildren to spoil and all.

"Thank you, Jiraiya." The tall young man said.

"It's the least I could do. Minato and Kushina would have wanted it this way and she would have jumped face first at the chance to have grandchildren." Jiraiya chuckled.

"Now...If that's all, I've got to pick the girls up from school. You wanna come with me to meet them?" Ichigo asked his now fellow Sage.

"Why not? I'll get to meet Naruto later if I stick with you. Let's scoot." Jiraiya said as they teleported away to the Academy. Anko and Sarutobi both left back to their offices to carry out their individual duties.

_**EARLIER THAT DAY - UZUMAKI HOUSE**_

_**ABOUT 0630 HRS...**_

Naruto had just woke up and clambored out of his room to see his sisters doing the same. After a quick head count, they noticed that their patriache wasnt' accounted for, but they found a note sticky attached to the fridge and read it.

_"Hey guys...They called a meeting for all of the Examiners this morning, so I'll probably be there for most of the day. I'll be done in time to pick up Setsuna and Kana from school and pick up a few things. I'll pick up some stuff to cook another one of my recipies tonight, Beef Stew with Potatoes, since you'll need the nurishment and it's pretty good, too. Train hard!"_

"Ne, Hina-chan...You got training today with Kurenai-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah...She wants to help refine what I know and go over some stuff Papa Ichigo was teaching me before the Exams started." Hinata yawned out as she poured herself a bowl of cereal.

"What about Shino?" He asked.

"He said that he would be training with his clan for this, so we aren't worried. What about you?" Hinata asked.

"Well, Sakura-chan is training with her mom and I'll be with Lee and Gai-sensei, probably beating the hell out of each other again." Naruto replied as a pair of footsteps made themselves known.

"'Morning...Nii-chan, Nee-chan." Kana yawned widely.

"Hungry...Eat..." Setsuna groaned. as she sat down and grabbed some breakfast.

Breakfast for the kids went on as per usual until Naruto spied the clock.

"Crap...We'd all better get going. Lee and Gai-sensei probably already got started and Iruka-sensei's really strict about being on time." Naruto said.

"I'd better grab my gear, too. Kurenai-sensei will be meeting me at the training ground soon and she's all about being punctual." Hinata added.

"Hey, nee-chan...We'd better get ready, huh?" Setsuna asked Kana, who nodded.

"Yeah...Let's go. I don't wanna hear Iruka-sensei lecture us again for being late." Kana added.

The house was locked up and everyone was on their way on their business.

"Let's go pick up Hanabi-chan, first." Setsuna said as they made a slight detour that took them down a familiar street.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 0705 HRS**_

Hitomi, Sakura, and Hanabi, who had been staying there for the time being, were up and ready to get on with their day.

"Sakura-san...How will this new training help you with your opponent?" Hanabi asked curiously.

"Well, my opponent is a puppet user from Suna and in order to command his puppet, he uses chakra strings to keep it between himself and his opponent. Normally, chakra strings can't be cut, but mom found a way on accident when she fought one a long time ago." Sakura said as she went through the seals for the Chakra Scalpel. Her hand was now shrouded by a blue glow.

"This is the Chakra Scalpel. It's usually used by Medic-nins to make incisions for surguries or to sever tendons and muscles without breaking the skin in combat. Since my hand is coated in chakra, it can now cut the strings and render a puppeteer helpless." Sakura finished explaining to the girl, who was awe-struck.

"Cool..." She whispered.

"Hanabi-chan...Se-chan and Kana-chan are here to pick you up for school!" Hitomi called from the door.

"I'd better go!" Hanabi said quickly as she rushed out the door, with her lunch in hand.

"We'd better get a move on ourselves...We've got lot's more training to do. Your strength and speed are pretty good for your age, but you still lack stamina. We'll do more condtioning exercises so that you can run rings around that wierd Suna kid. After that, it's Kenjutsu practice." Hitomi told her daughter.

_**TRAINING FIELDS 0830 HRS**_

"Hey mom...What style do you know?" Sakura asked.

"I think it's time that I teach you our family style, starting with the Zankusen _**(Cutting Air Flash)**_ first. It can help you keep his puppet and any adversary at a distance and it's one of the more basic techniques." Hitomi replied, grabbing her sword "Kirei Shiki". She gave Sakura her old blade, Yunagi, or Evening Calm. It was wielded by an ancestor of theirs that passed their style down over 2000 years ago. Coincidentally, this ancestor and little Setsuna shared the same name.

"How do you know all of these styles? I never knew..." Sakura admitted.

"Sakura...The Haruno were an offshoot of another clan. They were very powerful Kenjutsu and Zanjutsu masters who created their own style, called the Shinmeiryuu. One of your ancestors once used the blade that I gave to you, the Yunagi. This style has almost completely died out, save for one last person...Myself and now you. Even I haven't learned all of the techniques, but they are all written down and well hidden. Even the Hokage doesn't know about all of them, no one does. I wanted to keep them a secret and for a good reason. The Uchiha would have stopped at nothing to gain access to these techniques since they cannot be copied with their vile eye." Hitomi explained to her daughter.

The girl was awed by her now revealed ancestry and the legacy that hed been passed down to her. Just the sword alone was a piece of her family's history, along with the blade being almost unearthly keen and sharp despite being over two thousand years old. The blade seemed natural in her hands, like it was meant to be there. It was a Nodachi, a type of blade that was a somewhat longer that the average katana with a straight edge rather than the slight curve a katana usually has.

"Well, kiddo...We'd better get to training if you want to stand a chance!" Hitomi called out to her daughter, blurring from sight only to reappear next to her, the flat of her blade caressing her neck.

"You need to be on your toes for this training, my dear." Hitomi cooed, giving her daughter a chance to regroup.

They continued this until they were both exhausted, or at least Sakura was. By the end of the day, she had nearly mastered the Zankusen and was beginning to learn the Zanganken _**(Stone Cutting Sword)**_ for her Kenjutsu and was also getting herself versed with parts of the unarmed style. She also learned the two Ukigumo _**(Floating Cloud)**_ moves of the Shinmeiryuu unarmed style, The Sakura Sanka _**(Falling Cherry Blossom)**_, and the Tsumuji Issen _**(Twirling Spark)**_.

"You did very well today, but it will only get harder from here. What motivation have you used?" Hitomi asked, but thought to herself.

_'Did I really need to ask?'_

"Well, I thought about how I could help Naruto-kun and back him up when he needs me." Sakura admitted, blushing with a smile.

"Hold on tight to that motivation. It will see you through. I lost mine years ago when that _person_ left me, but I have found it again." Hitomi told her daughter.

_'Ichigo-koi...You helped me find the strength to unearth my true skills once again. I hope to pass them down through any child we might have someday...'_ Hitomi thought, although she knew that with her womb being damaged, having a child again was beyond her. That still didn't stop her from dreaming, though, as she and her daughter went to the Academy to pick up their little house guest from school.

_**EARLIER THAT DAY WITH TEAM GAI 0830 HRS**_

Naruto had been working on his speed and power with Gai and Lee, along with learning how to fight Tenten.

"Now, Naruto-kun...Tenten's main tactics are to completely bombard her opponents with weapons and she is highly skilled in Kenjutsu. On top of that, she has more than likely added more techniques to her arsenal and has refined her style to include the ability to engage in close combat, your specialty, and she has been doing the same weight training as us. I propose that we increase your stamina and power, along with your speed to counter her weapons." Gai proposed.

It all made sense, considering Tenten was the long-range fighter of the group until he and Sakura came in, plus she had been training with Ichigo and now with Kakashi, which meant she more than likely picked up some new tricks that he hasn't seen before, on top of being faster and stronger. Her fight in the prelims was proof enough that she was already a quick thinker and clever. However, one problem remained...She saw him go into his Bijuu state against Sasuke.

"That's all good and fine, sensei...But what about the Kyuubi? Ten-chan knows that there's something wierd going on. I wanna...talk to her about it." Naruto explained.

Gai could see where that would be a problem. He felt that he owed Tenten a huge debt and he wouldn't want her to hate him if she misunderstood what being a Jinchuuriki is all about.

"I'll talk with my Eternal Rival about that. Would you feel comfortable if he and I help you explain it to her?" Gai asked.

"I am sure she will understand, Naruto-kun!" Lee assured. He had been told about the Kyuubi, but for that he saw Naruto in an even better light. Being able to hold something of that magnitude back while enduring the hatred of the entire village without giving into hate required a lot of heart.

Naruto nodded and so they made their way over to where Kakashi was training Tenten for the finals.

_**TRAINING GROUND #7 1130 HRS**_

Kakashi was drilling Tenten in Taijutsu drills and sparring with her with what Kenjutsu he knew from his ANBU days to prepare her for her match against Naruto.

"Now, Naruto is one of those that trains relentlessly and has the stamina and strength to back it up. He has also had extensive Taijutsu training, making his a dangerous opponent to take head on, along with massive chakra stores for any Ninjutsu he might use. Your best bet against him is to learn some Genjutsu, as that is a weak point of his since his chakra control isn't too good. I happen to know a few Genjutsu and I'll be teaching those to you as well." Kakashi informed Tenten.

"Sensei, weren't Sasuke and Neji supposed to be here?" She asked. She didn't really care after the stunts they pulled, but it was still nice to know.

"Well, Sasuke is STILL in the hospital from the beating Naruto gave him and Neji is nursing his wounded pride back at his clan's compound. I tried to get him to come, but Hiashi threw me out pretty quickly." Kakahsi shrugged.

"Wow...Naruto kicked his ass pretty good, then. What was that strange chakra they used? Sasuke's felt like...It was evil and violating everything it touched while Naruto's was just thick...like you could physically feel it and actually see it. It also felt feral...He's not an Inuzuka or anything, is he?" She asked.

Before Kakashi could answer, a new group made their way onto the field.

"Hello there, my Youthful Rival! How fares our young weapons mistress?" Gai asked jovially.

"Well, she's soaking things up like a sponge. She's got a real future as a kunoichi." Kakashi replied, a slight grin cracked when he saw her blush slightly at the praise.

"What brings you here anyway, Gai?" Kakashi asked.

"Young Naruto has something he wishes to tell Tenten in the spirit of their youthful comradeship! It has to do with answering her question!" Gai said, ushering Naruto forward.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"I need to tell her this, Kakashi-sensei. I owe her this much." The young blond replied as he sat her down and answered all of her questions to the best of his ability.

Tenten sat there and for over an hour, listening to him tell his full story and about the demon he carried within him. It seemed to her that Kyu, as she liked to be called, was a very kind demoness that is very protective of him. She looked to Lee and saw that he already knew about it and wasn't troubled in the least by it.

"So, are all vessels like you?" She asked. She was shaken by his reaction to the negative.

"No. Many other Jinchuuriki were treated like me...and some of them didn't take it too well. Gaara from Suna, he's one too, and it drove him insane." Naruto told her gravely. He wasn't going to tell her about Setsuna and Kana being Jinchuuriki...yet.

Tenten recoiled at that stone cold fact being thrown out there, but for her friend, it was harsh reality. "I...didn't know that..." Tenten finally said.

"It's a fact that Jinchuuriki are usually created to be the ultimate weapons for their villages. That is why any other village would kill to get their hands on him, especially Kumo. They treat their vessels with the utmost respect, but in Suna and Kiri, they were reviled. Here in Konoha, it wasn't general knowledge as to who the vessel was, but there was no hiding that fact when Naruto was chosen and sealed. Sandaime-sama tried his best to limit the damage done by the council, but it was already too late. The word had spread, and Naruto was regarded as an evil beast or worse." Kakashi explained to her.

"Why would you tell me all of this willingly if it was so painful?" Tenten asked, her eyes starting to water.

"Because you're my friend and I owe you a huge debt for what you did for Sakura-chan. It just felt right to tell you the truth, but I didn't know how to tell you. After I used my Bijuu powers to deal with Sasuke, it was time." Naruto told her.

Tenten was stunned, but more over, she felt slightly offended that he didn't trust her enough to tell her the truth straight out. She put a knuckle upside his head.

"You really don't do blonds much justice, y'know? You think something like that would cause me to hate you like the rest of those God forsaken morons? Geez...Give a girl a little more credit than that." Tenten muttered before she continued.

"What you've been doing your whole life is something that I could never have done even with a family, never mind alone like you did. We're both orphans that never got adopted, so I know how lonely it can be. I wish I got to know you sooner, then we could have watched each others backs, orphan to orphan." Tenten told him with a grin, Naruto matching it.

"Friends?" She asked.

"Yeah...Friends." Naruto replied, the two of them bumping fists.

"Such...SUCH YOUTH!" Gai shouted as _"Manly and Youthful"_ tears poured down in a comical display, Lee getting whipped up into a Youth frenzy as well while Kakashi and the others shook their heads. Kakashi clapped his hands and got their attention.

"Okay, okay...I believe that we all need to get back to training." Kakashi said.

"If it's okay, I wanna talk with Ten-chan a bit longer, so I'll meet you back at the Training Grounds, 'kay sensei?" Naruto asked. Neither sensei seemed to mind, so they were left to talk for a bit. After they were done Tenten and Naruto said their goodbyes and went their seperate ways.

"Do you feel better knowing the truth?" Kakashi asked her after he left.

"Yeah...Yeah I do. I know what he's really capable of, but I also know that he won't uncork that power unless he really needed to, but one thing still bugs me..." Tenten replied.

"Oh? And what's that?" Kakashi asked.

"What was that power that ass Sasuke used when he went all psychotic? I felt...violated by it, defiled just by being near it." She shivered.

"I can't tell you that right now. It's been classified as an A-Rank secret to those who don't already know. You'd be better off forgetting about it for now and concentraiting on your training." Kakashi told her. She wasn't buying it, but let it go...for now.

_**TRAINING GROUND #8 0830 HRS**_

Kurenai and Hinata had met at their team's usual training grounds to conduct their training while Shino's training was being handled by his father. Her opponent was none other than her own teammate, Shino. Kurenai had wanted to help her come up with a few counter-tactics to his Kikaijutsu, but Hinata had some pretty nasty ideas of her own.

"Well sensei...The first one involves lining the inside of my clothes with wires that conduct my chakra. I'll have an insulative layer under it so I don't get shocked as well, but as soon as Shino-kun's bugs try to latch on, I perform the handseals and send ripples of lightning chakra flowing down the wires and turn myself into a human bug zapper. After he realizes that his bugs won't work, he'll be force to deal with me using only Taijutsu and weapons, which has become my strong suit." Hinata stated.

Kurenai was shocked as she was listening to her rattle off ideas like this. The old Hinata that she first met wouldn't have had the confidence to even think of stuff like this.

_'Living with them has benifitted her in way I could never imagine. She's truly growing up into the young woman I knew she could be.'_ Kurenai thought.

"Those sound like very solid plans. How did you come up with them?" The crimson eyed woman asked.

"Well, Papa Ichigo made the suggestion over a month ago. Remember how I took out Neji?" Hinata asked.

"Yes...That was very clever." Kurenai replied.

"He gave me the idea, so I expanded on it! He's always reading about science and tinkering with things, so I took an interest in it. That was how I modified my jacket to run a strong enough current to repel his bugs and keep people from grappling with me." Hinata explained.

"Hmm...That would definately give you a huge advantage." Kurenai surmised before addressing her again.

"At any rate, our sole purpose to our training over this month will be to increase your speed and to work on your chakra capacity if you want to keep up this electrical cloak of yours for extended periods of time. Also, we will be working on your Taijutsu as much as we can, so that anyone that does dare to get in close won't have an easy time." Kurenai stated as she cracked her knuckles before dropping into a combat stance.

"And we begin...NOW!" The Genjutsu Mistress yelled as she launched herself at her student. Hinata barely avoided the opening blow and began to fight back.

_'I guess she wanted to work off some excess stress...I wonder what Asuma-san didn't do this time?'_ Hinata wondered. Asuma wasn't really the most attentive person when it came to relationships and ofter forgot many things...Like the fact that they were SUPPOSED to have a date last night, but she got stood up.

_'I thought she seemed a little hostile this morning...'_ The pale-eyed Uzumaki thought as she continued on with the training. It seemed as though she had PLENTY of stress to work through because this entire day was nothing but Taijutsu practice.

Finally, around three in the afternoon, Kurenai called their session to a halt.

"Ahh...I feel a little better, don't you?" Kurenai asked a dog tired Hinata, who was using a tree to prop herslef upright.

"G...Glad you...feel better, sensei." Hinata wheezed out.

"Tell you what, as a thank you for today, let's go out and get some cinnamon buns, huh?" The older female proposed, perking Hinata up almost instantaniously.

"Let's go!" Hinata chirped as they were off into town.

_**TEAM TEN'S TRAINING GROUND 1023 HRS**_

Team Asuma had shown up bright and early for training everyday, even Shikamaru peeled himself from his bed to get there. His fight, if you could call it that, with Lee, taught him a harsh lesson. It taught him that there were some opponents that he couldn't just outthink and beat them while giving little effort. If Lee had been a foregin shinobi, Shikamaru would have been put in a bodycast or buried by now. He needed stamina and physical training if he wanted to survive in this world.

Chouji was busy practicing grappling with his dad back at his clan compund. The father/son roughhousing was greatly treasured by the massive Akimichi patriache, and was proud that his son had made it to the Chuunin finals on his first try. Before, he was a lonely boy who had no confidence in himself, but now, he was a confident young man who was shaping up to be a promising clan head once he handed over the reigns of leadership.

Ino was busy sparring with Asuma, refining her movements and honing her strength and speed. If she had to face down a fighting machine like Lee, she would need every shred of endurance she could gain just to keep up with him. Fortunately, Asuma had just the training in mind...More weight training and an improved diet that was filled with muscle-building protein and energy-giving carbohydrates to help her gain what she needed, along with more leg building and flexibility exersices. She even changed her clothes, wearing a simple white cotton tank top with a sports bra on underneath and simple white cotton drawstring pants with her sandals, her Hitae-ate still around her waist. These clothes allowed for more freedom of movement and she didn't have to re-do her wrappings over and over again. These were her training clothes and what she was going to wear to the Exams.

However...She had an ulterior motive for training this hard, Naruto. She wanted to prove herself to him and to Sakura, she wanted to be ready in case she ever faced her rival and to confess what she felt. She knew that it was a huge gamble, but she needed to know if what she wanted was even in the cards at all.

_'I HAVE to know...I have to beat Lee in order to have a chance at facing her, to tell what I feel!' _Ino yelled inwardly, trying to psych herself up for more training.

"Hahh...Hahh...Let's do it again!" Ino yelled, getting ready again.

_**KONOHA ACADEMY 1500 HRS.**_

__"Are there any questions?" Iruka asked his class of students, keeping an eagle eye on two little girls in particular.

Setsuna and Kana were in the same class in the Academy, but there is a good reason for that. It seems as though Setsuna was a naturally fast learner, so she was skipped up a few classes and she was able to physically keep up with the older students due to the inheirent nature of being a Jinchuuriki, which was heightened sight, smell, and coordination.

There was also the fact that Iruka was nearly tearing his hair out by the top knot due to how the girls could pull off pranks, but somehow avoided getting caught every time, like the time they snuck into the teacher's locker room and replaced their foot powder with evaporated milk. The end result was the entire teaching staff's feet smelling like rotten milk for a full week. Now, they all tested the powder BEFORE using it. Another prank they pulled off was when they took an extra can of shaving cream their father had in his bathroom, stored it in the freezer all night. They then took it out and sawed off the end when they got to school, placed it in Iruka's desk drawer.

_**AUTHOR INTERJECTION TIME!**_

_**Now, I know most people are probably scratching their heads at this prank, but allow this humble author to explain. The contents of your standard can of shaving cream, such as an ordinary can of Barbasol or it's equivalent, can be frozen in a freezer overnight since the contents are in a semi-solid state and highly compressed, however, make sure that it is COMPLETELY frozen before you attempt to saw off the end. The best way to check this is to try and dispense some of it to see it the liquid propellent has frozen. You then take it out of the freezer and bring it over to where you want the prank pulled. A desk drawer, a locker, or a shoe cubbie are good places, as long as its compact and enclosed, but do this quickly before it thaws out. When you decide, cut off the end of the can and leave it in the location of your choice to thaw. Once it does, all of the shaving cream that was frozen will expand at an alarming rate due to the liquid propellent that has been frozen along with the cream , completely flooding out the drawer, locker, or cubbie with shaving cream! This and the powdered milk prank are both REAL PRANKS, pranks that I have pulled myself in the past!**_

_**ALL JOKING ASIDE...BACK TO THE POINT!**_

"No, Iruka-sensei!" Setsuna said, sounding completely innocent. So innocent that it made Iruka look around for a second before turning back to them.

"Class dismissed!" He yelled as he shuffled some papers before walking out of the classroom.

"Hey, nee-chan...Isn't dad supposed to be picking us up today?" Setsuna asked her sister.

"Yeah...I think so. There he is!" Kana said enthusiastically as she and her sister bum rushed their father.

"Papa!" The sawed off wolf girl cheered as they made contact with the towering blond.

"Hey girls...were you good for Iruka today?" Ichigo asked.

"Define good." Setsuna asked with a cheeky grin.

"Smarty pants." Ichigo shot back with a similar grin.

The pair of half-pint Jinchuuriki then noticed the extra person with their father.

"Ano...Who're you, jii-san?" Kana asked, her big forest green eyes shining with curiosity.

Jiraiya's face lit up like he was given the deed and keys to the Playboy Mansion, bunnies and all.

"I am SO glad that you asked that! I am the one whose name can hush a crying child! The mere utterance of my name can send the mightiest of foes cowering in fear and the ladies swoon! I am the holy sage of Mt. Myouboku, who is well know in the East, West, North, and South! None other that Lord Jiraiya!" The crazy sage crooned as he finished his little kabuki dance number.

Both girls gave him blank looks for a second before busting out into peals of laughter.

"This clown guy's really funny!" Setsuna howled.

"Yeah! Even funnier than that guy on T.V!" Kana added, holding her ribs and she wiped away a tear.

"Aw, man...They're laughing! How uncool is that?" Jiraiya lamented until another voice made itself known.

"Well, well...If it isn't a Great Maned Pervert out of its natural habitat!" Hitomi said aloud, hands on her hips.

"Hey, hon. Where's Sakura?" Ichigo said as her gave her a quick kiss.

"Hey yourself...She decided to go on home and get a little rest. Why's the perv here?" Hitomi asked.

"I'll tell you in private later. Sandaime's law..." He whispered to her, her head nodding in understanding as they got back to the business at hand when Hanabi came out of the Academy.

As they moved toward her, they noticed someone else on the move, as well. It seemed as though Hiashi hadn't learned his lesson, as he was skulking around the Academy. Ichigo and Hitomi were in front of her in an instant, blocking his path.

"Wh-What's _he_ doing here?" Hanabi asked, pointing to her ex-father as she hid behind Hitomi's legs.

"Hey, Hiashi! Didn't the CPA already tell you that you suck as a parent?" Ichigo called out to him.

"Uzumaki..." Hiashi snarled hatefully.

"Yeah...That's what they call me." Ichigo replied cheekily.

"I will have my progeny back. You will not stop me." The Hyuuga head declared.

"What the hell's going on here?" Jiraiya asked, puzzled as to what was going. Hitomi filled him in on what happened in the past few months, and Jiraiya mirrored their scowl. To him, parents that abused their kids were on the same level as Orochimaru.

"You've sunk pretty low, Hiashi. Hibana must be rolling in her grave right now at how you treated her daughters." The sage growled.

"Jiraiya...What are you doing here?" Hiashi asked in surprize. Taking on one of the Sannin along with someone that already took him to the cleaners wasn't something he was willing to do.

"Joining my Godson in picking up my granddaughters. I understand that you've been forbidden from coming near your _former_ daughters." The Gama Sennin stated, his arms folded across his chest.

"This is no business of yours, Jiraiya. Stay out of it." Hiashi snapped.

"No...I think I'll step in. This is a family affair since Hinata's Legal Guardian is one of my Godsons, and Hanabi's Guardian will be married to him soon, making them family, too." Jiyaiya said casually.

"So...That demon brat is the other Godson?" Hiashi sneered.

"He never said that and I believe that you nearly broke the Sandaime's Law." Ichigo said, his tone deadly and menacing.

"Get lost, teme-jii! Nobody wants you here!" Setsuna yelled at Hiashi, getting many others to say the same. It wasn't exactly a secret that he lost custody of his kids due to child abuse issues and the other parents were letting him know just what they thought of him.

"Go away!"

"We don't want a child abuser around our kids!"

Hiashi had had enough of their opinions and stomped away from the Academy, snarling and muttering the whole way.

"Good riddance. Now, why don't we get these kids home?" Hitomi suggested.

"Alright. Let's take this to your place and I'll send a couple of Shadow Clones to stay with Hanabi and the girls at my place, since Naruto and Hinata will be there, too. We really need to talk." Ichigo told them, forming the clones. Each clone took one of the girls and bounded off over the rooftops.

"Let's go." Ichigo told them, all three of them teleporting off.

_**HARUNO RESIDENCE 1600 HRS.**_

The small group flickered into just outside of Hitomi's house and walked inside.

"Sakura's in her room sleeping right now. As long as we keep it down, we should be safe." Hitomi suggested.

"Just to be on the safe side..." Jiraiya said, pulling out seal tags and placing them on Sakura's bedroom door to form a sound barrier.

"Okay...Now what's going on here? What couldn't be said at the Academy?" Hitomi asked.

"There are a few reasons why Jiraiya is here. One of them is because we believe Suna and Oto are going to try invading us during the finals and he's come to add some extra muscle and help fight Orochimaru. The second...I'll let him explain." Ichigo said, trading off with Jiraiya.

"You know how I was Minato's teacher?" Jiraiya asked her.

"Yeah...I remember that. Why?" Hitomi asked.

"Well...The boy was like a son to me and when Kushina was pregnant, he asked me to name the boy. I did...I named him Naruto, after a character out of a book I wrote before I started the Icha Icha series." Jiraiya admitted, letting her fill in the blanks for herself.

"You mean...Naruto-chan is the son of Kushina-san and the Yondaime?" She asked, using all of her willpower to keep from fainting. The boy she had cared about and for all these years was in reality the son of the ones that took her in when she needed support. She had been repaying their kindness all along by biding by the dying wish Minato left behind. Relief and happiness flooded her very being.

"I should have known...That stubborn streak could only have come from Kushina-san and Naruto's looks definately belong to Minato. How blind have we all been to not see it?" Hitomi said, more to herself than to anyone else as she sank into a chair. With this, though, she remembered something else that was just said.

"Wait a minute...YOU are Naruto-chan's Godfather?" Hitomi said, her tone deadly and sharp as she stood once again and advanced on him.

"Where the HELL have you been? Why weren't you there for him when he needed you?" Hitomi snarled as she grabbed the sides of his vest and shook him like a ragdoll.

"Easy there...I already busted his chops and so did the old man and Anko-nee, as well as the clan heads. They didn't know, either. The only reason I knew was because they sorta..._visited_ me one night..." Ichigo said as he began to explain the circumstances behind _how_ he knew all of this, and the extent of what he knew. He even told who his and Naruto's godmother was, getting some surprizing results.

"Did Lady Tsunade even know about him?" Hitomi asked.

"I'm not sure...But every summons that reaches her sent sends back with a note saying that everyone she cared about in Konoha is dead, so I'm thinking so. Another missive was sent out to her, telling her that he's alive and well, but we're not sure it'll find it's way to her or if she'll even respond." Jiraiya answered truthfully.

"How long ago was the missive sent out?" Hitomi inqiured.

"Earlier this monring. It was sensei's fastest summon, so give it a day or so to find her. His monkey summons can find her no matter where she tries to hide, so it's only a matter of distance and time." Jiraiya explained.

"I see...I hope she actually answers this time, or at least comes by to confirm for herself." Ichigo mused as he changed subjects.

"Now that this is out of the way, it's time for you to meet the rest of the family. I gotta drop by the store and pick up a few things first, though." He said, now taking them to his place.

"I'll meet you guys there. I'm going to wake Sakura up and bring her along. We're all going to be family soon enough...She needs to hear this." Hitomi said from her doorway. He nodded, and he and the Sage took off for the market, then onward to the House of Uzumaki.

_**UZUMAKI RESIDENCE 1700 HRS.**_

Hinata and Naruto had gotten home from training just before the girls got there with the clones, so they had time for a small chat.

"How was training, sis?"

"Not too bad. I think Asuma-san did something to make Kurenai-sensei angry, though."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well...She was pretty angry and yelling things about him while we sparred today, if that's a big enough clue."

"Oh..."

"How did your day with Gai-san go over?"

"Well, we mainly did a lot of sparring and weight training..." Naruto trailed off in his tone.

Hinata could sense instantly that there was something else.

"What else happened?" She asked.

Naruto proceeded to explain what had happened when he told Tenten the truth about what he held. She held her breath for a second, hoping that it went alright for him. She was relieved to hear that Tenten was more upset with him not trusting her enough to tell her outright, but she still accepted him and his tenant.

No sooner than they stopped talking about this, the girls came in the door with Hanabi in tow, escorted by a trio of clones.

"What happened?" Naruto asked, knowing that if they came back with clones instead of the original, something was wrong.

"That teme Hiashi wouldn't leave Hanabi-chan alon, so we brought her here." Setsuna told her elder siblings.

"Him again...He just doesn't learn." Hinata scowled.

"Tou-san made him go away, but he left with this strange old man and Okaa-san. It sounded real important." Kana added.

"I guess we can wait for him to get back and tell us." Naruto reasoned.

They all decided to wait a while until he got home, settling down on the couch and watching some T.V to unwind a bit. Hanabi STILL hadn't shed her crush on the older blond and was blushing up a storm sitting next to him while the little ones noticed and ribbed her about it slightly. This carried on until they heard a the lock to the front door slide open and a voice called out.

"I'm home! Anybody hungry?" Ichigo called out.

"Hi! Yeah, we're _starving!_" Little Setsuna said, her stomach grumbing.

"I'm pretty hungry, too, Tou-san." Kana added.

Right behind him, the tall old man from the Academy walked in the door.

"Ah! It's Clown Man! Hey, do that funny dance again!" Setsuna cheered, making Jiraiya grimace.

"Man...Now I'm a clown?" The Sage whined as he changed the subject.

"Anyway, where is the boy?" He asked.

"He's right in front of you." Ichigo answered, drawing a puzzled look from Naruto.

"What? What's going on here, Aniki? Who is he?" Naruto asked.

"He'll answer those questions for you, won't you, Jiraiya?" Ichigo said cryptically.

"Yeah...C'mon, kid. I need to tell you some things that...you've probably been dying to find out." The old sage told him as they left for the roof for some privacy.

"H-hey...Where's he taking Nii-san?" Kana asked.

"He has some things that...he wants to tell Naruto. He'll tell the rest of us when they're done up there. In the mean time, I'll get started on dinner. I'll be making my Beef Stew tonight from my box of recipies." Ichigo chimed, referring to the small wooden box that held every single recipe that he had come across during his travels prior to meeting all of them. It took him years to compile that many and he still have at least over a hundred that he hasn't even tried yet.

While he was cooking, Jiraiya and Naruto began their talk.

"So...Who are you, anyway?" Naruto asked.

"Well...This is difficult to say but I'll start with the easy stuff first. My name is Jiraiya, a fellow Dead Last like you, I was taught by the Sandaime, and I taught the Yondaime himself."

"Whoa...That's gnarly! So what do you want with me?"

"Well...I knew your parents, kid. In fact, I was the one that gave you your name, since your father was like the son I never had." Jiraiya answered, trying to let the boy figure it out himself.

"Cool! My old man was one of the Yondaime's teammates! Bad ass!" Naruto whooped.

"Uughh. You're just as dense as he was...Your father wasn't the Yondaime's teammate. He WAS the Yondaime, Minato Namikaze. You look like a clone of him, for God's sake." Jiraiya blurted out, getting annoyed.

This info literaly struck him dumb. He felt numb all over. The one that had condemned him to this hell was none other than his own father. He was about to get rightiously pissed out, but Kyuu reached out to him.

_**"Naruto-chan, the night I was sealed into you, your parents were crying. They said that they loved you and sacrificed themselves so that you would live. They really did intend for you to be seen as a hero, but this village betrayed us, save a precious handful."**_ Kyuu told him.

_"Thanks Kyuu-chan...I really don't know what I'd do without you here with me." _Naruto replied.

"So...He was my old man? How about my mom? Who was she?" Naruto asked after a few minutes of silence and trying to keep himself under control.

"Her name was Kushina Uzumaki. I have a picture of her here..." Jiraiya said, taking out a picture of her while she was pregnant with him.

Naruto took a good look at the picture. _'Wow...She was really beautiful...AH! No! Impure thoughts begone!' _Naruto thought as he got his thoughts back on track.

_'So she was my mom...I wonder how I'd look with her straight red hair...'_ The blond thought until Jiraiya broke him out of his thoughts.

"So...An Oedipus Complex already, huh?" The old sage teased.

"Gah! Sh-Shut up, Ero-sennin! She's my MOM!" Naruto yelled.

"THAT again? I thought that only those two would call me that! Now their brat's calling me that!" Jiraiya whined as he got back to the matter at hand.

"Anyway, the point is...is that I'm your Godfather, kid." Jiraiya finally told him after beating around the bush.

Again, Naruto froze and could feel Kyuu's anger welling up within him.

_**"Of all the irresponsible...If I were free, I'd flay him alive for leaving a kit defenseless alone like that! Minato trusted him to take care of Naruto-chan!"**_ She fumed.

Naruto's anger was piqued as well.

"Where the hell were you when I needed you? Where were you when I was RAPED when I was seven? Where were you when I was nearly killed and set on fire when I was nine?" Naruto asked, trembling with anger.

"Kid...It's complicated. It was just that...it hurt so much to see the boy I nearly raised and trained literally commit suicide. I was just so lost that I forgot about everything and left it all behind. I know that's no excuse for what I did and couldn't be sorry enough for it. However, I want to at least try to make it up to you. I want to teach you everything I taught your father, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and Fuinjutsu...along with having you sign the Toad Contract." Jiraiya said.

"Why should trust you? Aniki, Gai-sensei and Kakashi-sensei have all taught me so much and they are awesome teachers." Naruto retorted.

"Kid, who do you think taught Kakashi all that he knows? Your dad was HIS sensei, as well as that woman Rin that you like so much." Jiraiya pointed out.

Naruto couldn't believe that Kakashi and Rin were students of the Yondaime himself and never told him.

"Why didn't they tell me?" He asked, more to himself.

"Because they couldn't without putting you in extreme danger. Your parents had as many enemies within the village as they did outside of it. Your mom alone was a target for being the previous container of the Kyuubi." Jiraiya told him.

_"Kyuu-chan...Is he telling the truth?" _Naruto asked.

_**"...Yes. Kushina, your mother, was the best friend I've ever had. She would always talk with me and shared her happiest moments with me. For that, I will always be grateful and do not regret a single moment of our time together, nor do I ours, my kit."**_ She explained.

"So...Do you believe me, kid?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah...I do." He answered.

"Why take it at face value? I could be lying to you to get on your good side." Jiraiya questioned.

"I know because Kyuu-chan told me the truth. She told me that she and my mom were good friends." Naruto told him.

"I see...It's a good thing you and the Kyuubi..."

"No, Kyuu. That's what she wants to be called." Naruto interrupted.

"Sorry, Kyu... are on such good terms. You are very, VERY lucky, same as your two little sisters. I've heard no end of horror stories about hosts in conflict with their demons, like that Suna kid Gaara. His condition is more due to a weak and faulty seal, intended to make the host more powerful but it backfired on them. It cost the host his sanity and most of his humanity." The sage told him, his tone grave.

Naruto knew he was lucky that Kyuu was kind to him, but he didn't know just HOW lucky he was. It seemed as though he and his sisters were the rare ones, not Gaara.

"I'm getting off topic again...The training I'm offering is one of a kind and it's your birthright, too." Jiraiya told him once again, trying to reinforce that fact.

"I'll...Take the training, but I have one condition. Come in closer so I can tell you." Naruto asked, beckoning him in closer. Just as Jiraiya bent down to hear what he had to say, he was the recipient of a kick to the balls and a punch to the nose.

"There...Condition fulfilled." Naruto said with a grin.

"I guess...That's fair..." Jiraiya wheezed, a little green in the gills as he fought down the intense pain _**(To you guys out there lucky enough to have never taken a nut shot, it feels like your stomach trying jump into your throat and it gets hard to breath let alone stand. I was put through this in MP training so that we knew what it was like. Trust me...This fucking HURTS.)**_.

"C'mon...I bet Aniki has dinner ready by now." Naruto motioned for him to follow, which he did, very gently.

Back down in the house, a hunger inducing scent wafted into their noses and practically dragged them into the kitchen to find that they had two more for dinner, the Harunos.

"Hey, Naruto-kun! How'd training go today?" Sakura asked.

They all traded stories of their respective days while they all ate their meals with gusto. Sakura was told that she shouldn't tell him about her training yet, since they were so secret, even the Hokage didn't know. Hitomi felt bad about hiding this from her fiancee, but he would find out eventually.

Dinner was over and Hitomi, Sakura, and Hanabi decided to go home while Jiraiya stayed to reveal what he told Naruto to the others. They were family now, so it concerned them, too.

"So...Clown guy is like our Jii-san? Cool!" Setsuna beamed with a grin that rivaled Kushina's when she was that age.

_'You'd think that she really was related to Kushina...Cute kid.' _ Jiraiya chuckled.

The girls seemed to take to it quite well and Jiraiya was keen on the idea of having granddaughters to dote on and spoil without the hard part. The girls were getting tired, so he helped set the younger ones down for bed for the night.

"G'night...Jiji..." Kana mumbled as she fell asleep, making the pervert smile honestly for the first time in many years.

_'I know I won't regret this...'_ He thought as he replied to her.

"Good night...My granddaughter..." He replied as he shut their door and walked out to the living room.

"I'll see myself out. Tell Naruto to meet me at Ichiraku's at 0800 for training. I'll talk with Gai myself tonight." The sage said as he left the house.

___A/N: Geez...Once again, sorry for the long wait, but things have been very hectic right now. I've been job hunting for a while now and I think I've nabbed one with General Atomics, being a Quality Assurance guy at the manufacturing site making Raptor UAV's! I just hope I managed to pull this one off!_

_ Back to the fic, now enter the Great Pervert, Jiraiya! As for the way I portrayed him at first, I wanted to show that while he is a awesome shinobi, he is still human and prone to making mistakes. However, he is now trying to make up for those costly mistakes by being there for the family he now has in the village...And I think he'd jump at the chance to be a grandfather with cute little granddaughters to spoil rotten. I also plan on bringing Tsunade back into the fold, but I still can't decide if Sarutobi should live, and HOW to bring Tsuande back into the fold..._


	19. Chuunin Exams : The Finals

_Finally...I've been meaning to get this one out, but I just kept getting side tracked..._

_**ONE MONTH LATER**_

_**JANUARY 7th, 0930 HRS**_

It was a rather sunny day in Konoha for a January, slightly warm with no overcast. The streets were bustling as per usual for a morning, but there was an extra element to the business going on down in the street today. It was because of the Chuunin Exam finals, being held today in the Central stadium. There were betting pools being set up all over the place. Financial players of all walks of life were busy taking bets and wagers. Some were even betting with mortgages, deeds and titles, pink slips, and IOU's_** (Go to Vegas some time...You'll see people using some weird shit to back their bets...)**_.

Since Sasuke and Neji, two of the most surefire bets, were taken out of the running by two of the supposed weaklings according to the Academy Records, and several others were wild cards. The only surefire bet in many minds was Gaara of Suna. The next bet was Naruto, then Hinata and Lee. So far, the odds were 2 : 1 for Gaara, 10 : 1 for Naruto since they adjusted for his new skills and power, 12 : 1 for Hinata and 13 : 1 for Lee.

Everyone had been training themselves into the ground in preparation for their fights, especially Ino and Chouji. Ino was to fight Rock Lee, who was like a tank that could move at speeds faster than she could track and hit like a frieght train packed with anvils. Her only chance would be to lure him into her Shintenshin and hope that he'd be too caught up in sparring with a fellow Capoerista. If she tried to fight him head on, she would lose horribly, not to mention quickly. To add to that, she wanted to face Sakura in the finals. She had something that she wanted to tell her and get her point across.

She had also changed her look. For the match, she would be wearing the traditional white cotton drawstring pants and a white sports top while fighting barefoot, like Capo was meant to be fought as she was taught. She had also chopped off her hair to mid back length, pulling the rest back into a tight braid. Lee was also going to uphold the tradition, while wearing a white tank top for males while having his hair in a skinny rat tail. Both would wear their Konoha headbands on their right arm, hoping to start a new tradition right here in Konoha.

Lee was training just as hard for his match and he and Ino agreed to a Capoeira match plus an exhibition before hand. They had met and agreed on the music to be played during their match. It was a song that Ichigo had told them originated from a nation called Brazil, who adopted Capoeira as their national martial art. He told them that their masters were referred to as Mestre, which Ichigo was to them since he taught them the art. They talked with Ichigo and he agreed to talk with the Hokage about it and to let him lead the display, heightening the experience. Sarutobi was delighted with the idea and gave it the go ahead. Gai came forward and wanted to be included, since he also knew the style. Setsuna, being a budding practitioner, also wanted to be in it, so they approved it.

This also had another purpose...It was to be a stalling tactic and a smoke screen, to give the ANBU and other Jounin more time to dig in and search out the force locations prior to the starting signal of the invasion. For it to work, it had to be convincing enough to cause Orochimaru to drop his guard. He just hoped that Orochimaru was arrogant enough to only see the surface.

As for poor Chouji, he drew the short straw and has to face Gaara. He knew that his Body Expansion would help keep him from getting crushed by Gaara's sand, but he wouldn't be able to keep it up for long. In order for him to pierce the sand shield, he'd need a massive amount of force to do so and a blunt trauma blow wouldn't cut it. He'd need to think of something, or Gaara would grind him into paste. His father worked with him constantly, teaching him as many of the Akimichi Clan techniques and fight moves as he could within the one month training period.

Tenten was also training hard, with Kakashi focusing on her Taijutsu, since Naruto was a close range fighter and her long range techniques would be useless if he made it in close. He also kept up her physical training regimen to further augment her strength and stamina. To add to that, he also worked with her weapons skills. He figured that since weapons was where her strength was, he should at least her help expand upon it. He also got to shake the rust off of his Kenjutsu and use his old ANBU Ninjato. Afterwards, he was so proud of her for enduring the gruelling training without a single complaint, he handed down something _very_ special to her...A legendary artifact of Konoha...

Speaking of the rest of Team 7, Sasuke was currently busy brooding over his loss in the Prelims to Naruto. On top of that, the power that had been given to him had been sealed away by not only Kakashi, but also by the Hokage. The seal they imprinted upon him was too powerful for him to throw off on his own and tampering with it would guarantee frying out his chakra system, so in a way, it was like a collar, as well. He couldn't believe that he was beaten the way he was and that Naruto possessed such a massive power within him that dwarfed his own. He swore that before long, he would have his revenge on him and crush all that he held dear to him, even if it meant turning his back on the village. This had even superceded his thirst of revenge against Itachi, something Orochimaru had longed to take advantage of. He appeared to Sasuke, like the devil to Eve in Eden, tempting him with power beyond imagining. The spoiled boy took the offer in a heartbeat. All he had to do was...

Then, there was Neji. Ever since losing to Hinata in the prelims, Hiashi had been in an even more foul mood than usual. He would use the Curse Seal at the slightest provocation and now that Hanabi was taken away by Child Protection Sevices...It wasn't pretty. For example, a small girl, around Hanabi's age, from the branch family had accidentally bumped into him and he nearly killed her from using the curse seal for too long. Another similar incident ended in death when a woman that worked in the kitchen took too long to bring him his meal. He activated the seal and didn't stop until he saw blood oozing out of her eyes and ears. That alone was enough to scare the living crap out of him. Finally, Hiashi got around to his punishment for losing. He beat the boy without mercy for days on end, using the Seal off and on then back to beating him again. By the time the finals came around, his entire body was covered in bruises. However, this was also a rather enlightening experience for the once arrogant boy.

_'This must be my punishment...For how I treated Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama...They received similar abuse...And I ignored it to wallow in self pity. Kami-sama...Oh, Kami-sama...I'm so sorry...'_ He silently cried when he was left alone in a small room without any comforts.

_'Hiashi-sama...There will come a day when you will regret your actions...And there will be no forgiveness for you. I so swear it. I will do whatever it takes to make things up to Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama. To help protect them from YOU.'_ Neji swore as he forced himself to get some rest.

Hinata's training with Kurenai was proceeding as planned. She was currently training to increase her rather small chakra reserves and increase her physical stamina. She was capable of amazing speed and bursts of power, but she couldn't keep up it for too long without getting exhausted. To that effect, Kurenai took a page out of Maito Gai's book and had Hinata run with smaller amounts of weight in order to increase her endurance and constant sparring to keep her on her toes.

With the Jinchuuriki sisters, they were currently still in school and up to their usual antics. However, since they got acquainted with the Konohamaru Corps, the picked up on one of Naruto's...hidden jutsu, the Sexy Jutsu. It was pandemonium when Ebisu came around for Konohamaru's usual training and he didn't feel like going so the girls hit him with their best shot. Setsuna turned into a buxom purple haired bombshell while Kana became a greenhaired knockout. This gave them an idea for how they were wanting to cheer their Onii-chan on for his match . They had secretly gotten hold of one of Jiraiya's books while he was napping and discovered something called Cheerleaders from it, so they were going to combine the two into this little routine they were working out along with Moegi and Hanabi. Anything they could be cooking up _can't_ be good.

Sakura's training had been stepped up quite a bit. Her immersion into the Shinmeiryuu had gone smoothly, just like Hitomi's did when she was taught by her grandmother, Hina. In their family, the Shinmeiryuu was taught to the women from mother to daughter and since her own mother, Touko, had died young, her grandmother saw to her training. One night, Sakura had a dream. She dreamt that she met the original owner of Yunagi...

_**SAKURA'S DREAM**_

_Sakura woke up in a start to find herself on a grassy hillside underneath the biggest tree she'd ever seen in her life, overlooking a city of some sort and the ocean. She sat up and found that her new sword wasn't next to her. As she looked around for it, she ran into a girl a little older than her...And she was holding Yunagi! _

_ "Um...Excuse me? That sword belongs to me. Can I have it back?" Sakura asked politely._

_ The girl was a little shorter than her, her dark hair tied off at the side, wore the sort of clothes that a samurai would wear but with the kimono top's arms cut off, leaving her arms bare. However,the most peculiar thing was that...she had WINGS. The girl looked at her with a kind smile. _

_ "I've waited for over 2,000 years for someone to wield my blade again. You must be one of my descendants. Tell me...What reasons do you fight for?" She asked._

_ Sakura blinked in bewilderment, but answered her anyway._

_ "The reason why I fight? I...Well..." Sakura replied bashfully._

_ The girl already knew and Sakura's reaction was proof enough that she was right. She had peered into Sakura's memories and saw her life. She giggled when she saw her meet Naruto for the first time and at how quickly they became friends. _

_ "He really was a sweet child, just like another boy I once knew. It's amazing that someone who has suffered as Naruto-kun has even has the capacity to love. He must be very special." Setsuna commented, thinking of a certain boy named Negi Springfield. She believed that Naruto and Negi had many things in common, their hearts being the most vital similarity. _

_ 'Kami rest his soul.' Setsuna thought sadly._

_ She could tell that they were completely smitten with each other, but wasn't terribly pleased with how her mind was changed. She was very pleased that she and Naruto found their way to each other again with the help of this Ichigo person, who made her confront her feelings. _

_ "Poor child...He must have been heartbroken...I'm just glad that this Ichigo person, whoever he is, got you to see what a special person you almost passed by." Setsuna said. _

_ "I know...both Naruto-kun and Ichigo-sensei are two of the most special people in my life, even if Ichigo-sensei has only been here for less than a year." Sakura replied._

_ "Oh? Where did he come from?" Setsuna inquired._

_ "Well...No one really knows. He just showed up one day, claiming to be Naruto's elder brother and they look so much alike and act alike, too. All that we know and really care about, is that he is responsible for drawing us all together and helping us get stronger. He's so powerful, yet so gentle with us. To add to that, he asked my mother to marry him and she said yes." Sakura told her. Setsuna found herself wanting to meet this man, but it would be nigh impossible. _

_ "I find myself wanting to meet this person even more." Setsuna said._

_ She was crying when Sakura was...assualted by Sasuke Uchiha, but was happy to see that the feelings Sakura had for Naruto were as true and genuine as they could get, and that he was utterly devoted to her. It was that loyal devotion that saw them through the darkness and he proclaimed his undying love for her and she to him. _

_ "What that loathesome boy has done...Can never be forgiven. Rape is one of the ultimate crimes against Heaven and guarantees eternal damnation. However, with the love of Naruto-kun, you have managed to put it behind you and for that, I am very proud of you." Setsuna commended. She had found Sakura's reasons for wielding her blade to be true. _

_ Her reason was True Love. The greatest reason of all. One that her fellow swordswoman, Motoko Aoyama, had forsaken and suffered grievously for it, never reaching her full potential unlike her sister Tsuruko, who embraced it and reached heights that were once fantasy. _

_ 'This girl and her mother, Hitomi, have vast potential within them. I know they will not falter from the true path of the Shinmeiryuu...' Setsuna though as she made her decision._

_ "Sakura...I deem you worthy of carrying my blade into battle, with my blessings. Take care of Naruto-kun, for he truly loves you." The girl said, handing Yunagi back to her._

_ "I also have one final gift. You may not be able to use it yet, but someday...You will. It was one of my most powerful techniques but it was never recorded. I wish to pass it down to you, the __**SHIN RAIKOUKEN**__. Use it...To protect the ones you love." The winged girl explained as she imprinted the knowledge into her. Since this was a dream, things like this could be done. _

_ "Wait...Who are you? I don't even know your name!" Sakura asked as the girl spread her wings, ready to take off. She looked back with a sincere smile._

_ "It's Setsuna...Setsuna Sakurazaki..." The girl said, her voice echoing as she took to the skies, leaving behind feathers of the purest white showing that she had been there at all. The dream then faded to white._

_**END DREAM...**_

Since that dream, she trained herself even harder to make good on the promise she made with her ancestor. Yunagi...It felt as if the blade had become part of her, like a piece of her heart and soul had been fused with it, as well as her desire to be with Naruto till eternity come. The dream only served to bolster and strengthen her resolve. She absorbed everything that her mother had taught to her, learning at a fevered pace. She learned the unarmed forms of the Shimeiryuu style such as the _**ZANKUSHOU**_ _**(Air Cutting Palm)**_ and it's variation, the _**ZANKUSHOU-SAN**_, which fired off like a shotgun. She also mastered the _**FUUJIN RANBU (Chaotic Wind Dance)**_. She was told by Hitomi to keep her blade a secret until the right time, so she sealed it away within a weapon scroll that she keeps in her pouch.

_'I will NOT fail Naruto-kun. I was already tainted by that bastard Sasuke, but I'll kill him myself if he EVER tries anything again. I'll drag his headless, limbless, dickless corpse before the council myself and I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt our families.'_ Sakura swore as she threw herself into her training.

Now, as for Naruto himself...Here's how it went down...

_**FLASHBACK!**_

_Jiraiya had left the Uzumaki house and sought out Gai as her promised he'd do. He didn't have to look far, since he was with the other sensei having a quick nightcap before they all turned in for the night._

_ "Ah! Jiraiya-sama! How youthful of you to join us!" The bushy-browed Jounin greeted._

_ "Ah...Yes. Hey, Gai? I need to speak with you for a moment. In private." The Sage asked of him, to which he obeyed._

_ As soon as they were out of earshot, their conversation began._

_ "So, what is this about, Jiraiya-sama?" Gai asked, in full serious mode._

_ "I won't beat around the bush, Gai. I have come to train Naruto." Jiraiya declared._

_ "What reasons do you have for such a thing?" He asked._

_ "I...want to pass down a few birthrights to my Godson from his father, my student." Jiraiya told him. Gai wasn't as stupid as people made him out to be and made the connection, his eyes going wide. _

_ "I see...So he really was his son after all..." Gai commented before getting back to the matter at hand._

_ "I'll allow it. It's...only right that he claims his birthright and I haven't much left to teach him. He has been a wonderful student and he had the drive to become even greater than his father someday." The bowl cut Jounin agreed, a bit hesitant to let go of such a wonderful student. _

_ "Don't worry, Gai. He will be in good hands. That much I can promise you." Jiraiya assured him as he left the area in a blur._

_ The next day saw Jiraiya in front of Ichiraku's as he specified to Naruto the night before as he waited for the boy in question. After waiting for a few more minutes, Naruto showed up._

_ "Hey gaki...You're a few minutes late." Jiraiys scolded him lightly._

_ "I know, sensei. I was just dropping off my little sisters at school." Naruto explained._

_ Jiraiya backed down since he understood and just paid for 2 large bowls of Teuchi's new breakfast ramen, his newest creation. It was literally like a breakfast in a bowl of noodles, pan fried bacon chopped up finely, stewed potatoes, the eggs were instead of hard-boiled, cracked into a small mixing bowl, whisked, and poured directly into the broth. It was a massive hit and workers would crowd the stand in the mornings for one of the hearty hot bowls of breakfast. Even Naruto was filled after one large bowl and the Uzumaki sisters gave it their seals of approval, since they were the test bed for the experimental dish. Many of the townspeople still didn't like them, but knew that they were ramen experts of the highest degree. Anything they approved so highly of HAD to be good._ _**(On a serious note...I actially tried making this myself and it was sooo damn good...)**_

_ After breakfast, Jiraiya dragged him out to a secluded patch of forest to gauge where Naruto stood at this point by having him do a few drills, such as Water and Tree Walking. Next, he was ordered to perform a few of the jutsu he knew, so he chose some of the smaller scale jutsu, like the __**FUUTON :**__**DAITOPPA, SUITON : MIZUTAMA**__ and __**SUITON : SUITAIHOU. **_

_Before they could really get down to brass tacks, Ichigo showed up as called Jiraiya over._

_ "Just a minute, Jiraya," Ichigo stated. "I think you should know what Naruto has learned, but there are some things I would like to keep secret for a while longer."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Didn't Hokage-jii fill you in on everything that's been going on with Naruto, especially when it comes to the Uchiha?" The blank look on the Toad Sannin's face answered his question. _

_ Sighing, he turned to face Naruto and said, "Naruto, start with your warm-ups while we talk for a moment." Jiraiya instructed. He turned to Ichigo, who place a hand on his shoulder and guided him to the far side of the field. This wasn't going to be pleasant._

_Naruto focused on his warm-ups, but he was distracted a few times. The distraction each time was a sharp, intense burst of killer intent coming from the old man._

_Jiraya have had a long life and a long career as a ninja, and had seen and heard many truly heinous things, but that didn't prepare him for what this youngster had just told him. He had been angry plenty of times before, but had only been absolutely livid on a few occasions. That number of occasions had just been increased. _

_ 'And I called the village ungrateful. If anything, "ungrateful" is an understatement in this case. That goes double for the Uchiha clan. If Itachi hadn't already killed his clan, I would be doing it right now. Under the circumstances, I'll forego my research for this month. As for Sasuke Uchiha and the council…' _

_ "I'm surprised you haven't taken matters into your own hand." Jiraiya growled._

"_He's number one on my shit list, with the Civilian Council, Homura, and Danzo coming in at a close second, and Hiashi Hyuuga third. But considering how much Sakura means to Naruto, Sasuke's reserved for Naruto only. After their fight in the preliminaries, Naruto promised Sasuke and everyone else in the arena that the next time he touched Sakura or even came near her or any of his precious people again, he'd kill him in front of the entire village, and the council be damned. Haishi...I took care of him already, but I'll kill him if he tries to hurt those children again._

_And on the note of the council, I once warned Homura and Danzo that even a guardian angel can become a devil if pushed hard enough. After I heard how they acquitted the teme, I intended to show them exactly what a devil, or rather in this case an avenging angel, can do. Hitomi-chan convinced me it wouldn't be worth it. Koharu-san, Tsume Inuzuka and most of the other clan heads pledged their support to me. The only exception is of course that asshole Hiashi. However, my patience with the council has run out. One more act of injustice, or any attempt to harm my daughters…And the guilty ones will beg for death."_

"_Can't say I completely approve of what you intend to do, but under the circumstances I'm not going to fault you."_

"_Thanks. I just wanted to give you a heads-up. I don't want to fight you, and should you find yourself in my way, step aside."_

_The discussion over, the two went back to Naruto and watched him continue his warm-ups. "As I was saying, after everything that happened with that teme, I decided to step up his training. Gai and I came up with a counter-tactic which he used during his match. He gushed out chakra at such a high rate that anyone using the Sharingan or even the Byakugan would be blinded. Thus, Sasuke was unable to use his eyes during the fight."_

"_Nice idea," Jiraya said with an approving grin._

"_I did more than that. After I arrived, I was given a month to prepare for the placement test. Hitomi-chan provided me with five scrolls, each with a jutsu from a different element. Once I mastered them, I began experimenting and created a number of originals that I had been contemplating. Hokage-jii either saw them in a demonstration or saw the results. Two of them have been classified S-rank. Considering one of them did some...Uh...Restructuring with the nearby mountain range, I don't blame him."_

_Jiraya couldn't help but look at Ichigo with utter amazement. Creating new jutsus isn't unheard of, but it usually took a long time to do so. More importantly, such an undertaking was potentially very dangerous. But to hear this youth actually creating a number of new jutsus, especially two S-ranked ones… _

_ 'I thought that big dip in the Northern mountains was wierd. If I hadn't heard his story, I'd swear he was related to Minato.' Jiraiya though._

_Realization suddenly swept through Jiraiya. "Tell me you didn't…"_

"_To be honest, I wanted to wait until he became at least a chunin before teaching him any of my high-level jutsus, but the council's inactivity in delivering justice and the threat Sasuke that poses to him and the others has forced my hand. Besides, the fact that he uses the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu repeatedly, and can use the Tajuu Kage Bunshi no Jutsu without injury, despite the latter being a kinjutsu, tells me he has sufficient chakra to use them. The other counter-tactic I came up with was to teach him extremely high cost ninjutsu that the teme couldn't possibly copy and use without killing himself. Those two use up more chakra than a regular Jounin would have alone, much less one pissant little turd. He would only be able to access maybe a small fraction of their power before killing himself."_

"_Can't say I like that idea. Just how far along have you gotten?"_

"_Naruto has wind affinity, so I taught him my __**Fuuton: Kyo Tatsumaki Kaimetsu**__. It creates three massive tornadoes that orbit a single spot around 10 meters wide. Anyone or anything caught in them gets ripped, slashed, and torn apart. Hokage-jii remarked that it's destructive power was comparable to the __**Raiton: Raimu Raito**__."_

_Jiraya went wide-eyed at Ichigo's statement. He knew about the __**Raimu Raito**__, the destructive lightning jutsu that could only be performed via collaboration between four ninjas. The only four who could do that were part of the Guardian Twelve – the Daimyo's former bodyguards – Kitane, Tou, Seito, and Nana. All four were killed years ago and the scroll with the jutsu stolen...By Orochimaru. _

_ "Kid, better be careful with your jutsus. I'm willing to bet the proceeds from my next Icha Icha novel that if a certain snake were to learn of your collection of jutsus, he'd do anything to learn them."_

"_I know all about his lust for power and jutsus. They'll be my trump cards against that bastard." He said before he left._

_After around a week, Jiraiya took in Naruto's progress and was highly pleased by what he saw. _

_"Good, kid. It looks like you're right on track with your control and jutsu. Now...There are two things that I can pass down to you, your father's signature jutsu, the Rasengan, and the Summoning Contract for the Toads. He was about your age when he signed it." Jiraiya told him, making his eyes go wide. He was shocked and quite humbled at having the honor of being taught the same things that made his father famous. _

_ The entire first week was spent on refining his basics and going over his secondary chakra source and it's possible applications. He also got to work with the Kyuubi's chakra and get a little more practice so he could wield it more efficiently, which Kyuu agreed with. While she was more than happy to assist him, she wasn't terribly happy with her chakra being clumsly wielded like some kind of club. She stressed the fact that he needed to learn to control her power better or it will backlash on him. After that week, Jiraiya felt more comfortable with moving on to letting him Summon and showing him the basics of the Rasengan. _

_ During his first attempts at summoning, Jiraiya got a real surprize when he summoned an actual toad, albeit a small one. The small toad looked around and saw Jiraiya._

_ "Yo...What's up? Why'd ya summon me?" It asked._

_ "I didn't summon you, Kichi...He did." The old pervert said, pointing to Naruto._

_ "Yo! What's up? I'm Gamakichi!" The small toad introduced himself, raising a webbed forefoot._

_ Naruto and Gamakichi hit it off quickly and he was soon summoned everyday to spend time with him while he practiced the Rasengan and joked around like old friends, much to Jiraiya's comfort._

_ 'This means Naruto and Gamakichi have a strong bond. That is very good news when it comes time to summon his dad, Gamabunta.'_ _He thought._

_ As you well know, First you say it, then you do it. That is exactly what happened a week later when Naruto was frustrated and poured as much chakra as he could manage into the summoning, summoning Gamabunta. Jiraiya paled when he did it._

_ 'It's too soon! Who knows what that grouchy old toad will do?'_ _He thought in a state of near panic._

_**"Oi! Who summoned me?! I was in the middle of having a drink!"**__ Bunta bellowed in anger, making the very earth shake._

_ "Yo, up here!" Naruto yelled, making the massive toad to look up._

_ "Hey there!" Naruto said once he was found._

_**"What do you want, brat? Where's that slob Jiraiya? I wanna talk with that old wino for summoning me here!"**__ He yelled at Naruto._

_ "Well...Here's the thing...I did that." Naruto answered him awkwardly._

_**"BWAHAHA! Nice try, little snot, but you couldn't have possibly summoned me!"**__ Bunta taunted as he turned to look for Jiraiya again._

_ "Hey pops! Down here!" Gamakichi answered from the ground._

_**"Gamakichi? What are you doing here?"**__ The massive toad inquired of his oldest son._

_ "Bro here really did call you! He called me, too and he's a cool guy!" Gamakichi answered, vouching for his new buddy._

_**"Hmm...Is that right? Fine then...Kid, you are now one of my henchmen."**__ Bunta announced with a great froggy smirk, pulling out his massive hip flask of sake._

_**"Now...We seal the deal like men with a little drink, ne?"**__ The old toad chuckled, pouring a small amound into a crater sized saucer for Naruto while he took a nice deep tug._

_ Naruto shrugged and before Jiraiya could stop him, he was head long into the sake and took a deep swig of the fiery liquid. Almost instantly, the alcohol hit him like a sledgehammer breaking the sound barrier._

_**"Naru-chan!"**__ Kyuu yelled at him in a scandalized tone, feeling the effects of the sake herself, but able to ward it off._

_**"What were you thinking, young man?! You're too young to drink something this powerful! And the nerve of that bloated, over-sized wallet...Serving alcohol to young kits!"**__ She fumed in a motherly huff as she began to work to nullify the potent beverage. _

_ Outside of the seal, Naruto and Bunta were drunkenly babbling about anything and everything until the buzz wore off and found himself inside of his mindscape, facing a fuming Fox Demoness._

_ "Uhhh...Sorry?" He apologized weakly._

_** "I can't believe you! You should know better than that!" **__Kyuu chastized her vessel, her nine tails swishing behind her in agitation._

_"But...I had to in order to complete the Summoning Contract! Honest!" He explained. It was like trying to explain things to the police. She stared at him for a few more tense moments then she relented._

_**"Fine...Just as long as this is the ONLY time this happens. You're too young for that, Naru-chan."**__ Kyuu admonished more lightly this time as he returned to the outside world._

_ He sat up and shook his head to clear the cobwebs, staring directly into his godfather's eyes and he wasn't really amused, either._

_ "Gaki, that sake he swigs like water is far more potent than your normal liquor. That much could have given you alcohol poisoning. Try to be more careful next time, huh?" Jiraiya chastised._

_ "Man...First Kyuu-chan and now you..." He mumbled._

_ "So...She gave you an earful, too? Good." Jiraiya agreed as they turned their attention on the gargantuan drunken toad._

_ "Hey! Bunta! What's the verdict, you old wino? The kid in or what?" Jiraiya called out._

_**"Yeah...That Gaki's...(Burp) awright with me...Ja ne!"**__ Bunta said as he poofed away._

_**FLASHBACK END**_

From then on out, Jiraiya concentraited on his Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, refining them as sharply as they could until their time was up, bringing us to this day.

_**CHUUNIN EXAM STADIUM 0930 HRS.**_

Everyone had piled into the Chuunin Exam Stadium, expecting a damn good show today. The various Daimyos and dignitaries from many diffenrent countries had arrived the day earlier and were told of the exhibition and were eagerly waiting for it. Along with the dignitaries, the _Kazekage_ showed up and took his place in the Kage's box along with Jiraiya and the girls.

"Ahh...Hokage-dono...How nice to see you." He greeted, his bodyguards by his side.

"Kazekage-dono. I trust your trip was pleasant." Sarutobi returned.

"Hardly." The Kazekage sniffed. He then noticed the girls.

"I didn't know you had granddaughters, Hokage-dono." He asked, suspicion in his tone.

_'I've seen that smaller brat before...And I don't remember that old fool having Granddaughters, either. Wait...Those two couldn't be...'_ The snake within thought as he took a closer look at them, making the girls hide behind Jiraiya.

"Great-granddaughters, actually." Sarutobi responded as he turned to the youngest.

"Setsuna-chan...Shouldn't you be getting down to the arena floor for the demonstration?" The old Hokage asked.

"I almost forgot! Dad wanted me to perform with him and the others! I gotta get ready!" The little girl exclaimed as she bolted from the booth down to the changing room to get ready.

"Demonstration?" The fake Kazekage asked.

"All in good time." The Hokage said cryptically. He already knew that the Kazekage was a fake, but the safest place for the girls right now was away from him and close to Jiraiya.

_'Speaking of which...I should get them away from him.'_ He thought.

"Jiraiya...Maybe you should take Kana-chan down to the stands to see her sister and father perform the Capo." Sarutobi suggested to the sage, his eyes motioning to the faux Kage. Jiraiya picked up on the eye movements and knew what he meant.

"Yeah...C'mon, kiddo. Let's go on down there. I wanna see what this Capoeira is all about." The sage replied as he picked up his surrogate granddaughter and whisked them away to the lower seats.

_'I knew it...It IS them. I will have them if it's the last thing I do. I must possess their power...'_ Orochi-pedo thought as the Hokage stood.

Down in the arena floor, all of the contestants were lined up in a row, being presented to the crowd as Sarutobi took over.

_**"HELLO, AND WELCOME TO THE 26th BI-ANNUAL CHUUNIN EXAMS HERE IN KONOHA! TODAY, WE WILL BEAR WITNESS TO THESE YOUNG GENIN AS THEY SHOW WHAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF AND TO SEE IF THEY ARE TRULY WORTHY OF THE RANK OF CHUUNIN! HOWEVER, BEFORE WE BEGIN, WE HAVE A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU AS AN ADDED TREAT!"**_ He announced as the chosen performers took centerfield, the other Genin on the field all getting a front row seat. Ichigo arranged them into a circle around them, forming a Roda of sorts, getting them involved in the festivities and further stalling the invasion while appeasing the crowd.

Ichigo took this a his cue to open things up. Himself, Gai, Lee, Ino, and Setsuna were all dressed in the traditional clothes of the Capoeristas, but all had different colored sashes to indicate their rank as according to the tradition. Lee and Ino both had on Green/Yellow sashes to indicate their Intermediate Rank, Gai wore a Yellow/White sash to indicate that he was a Teacher, Ichigo wore a pure white sash signifying that he was a Mestre, while Setsuna had none meaning that she was a beginner.

_**"Hello! We offered to put together a small performance before the exams get underway! This is a long forgotten tradition from far across the seas, called Capoeira. It was created by slaves, who used this fighting art to train under the guise of dancing. However, we will put on a small demonstration of what this art entails!"**_ He announced as he explained what the sashes meant, calling for the music to begin. The music had a tribal feel to it, with chanting in a another, unknown language to them, but known to him as a Spanish dialect from Brazil.

_**"This song is called Paranaue and the way the contestants down here are arranged is called a Roda. This is a tradition for Capoeira and signifies community, as they would usually be chanting and clapping along with the music."**_ He told the crowd as Naruto and Hinata had both heard this before and started to chant and clap with the music.

Ino and Lee got into the _**Ginga**_, standard sweeping motions and stance for Capoeira as they moved side by side and started out with a series of Gancho _**(Hook Kicks). **_ Ino entered an Negativa to dodge when Lee used a _**Gancho Giratoria**_ and the two of them traded moves until it was time to tag out using the Chamada. Lee switched out with Setsuna and the smaller girl used a flurry of acrobatic kicks and spins, much to the enjoyment of the crowd, who cheered loudly.

Ino had a few new admirers due to her choice of clothing since it revealed her new toned body quite nicely. Shikamaru couldn't believe that this was really Ino down there.

"Crap...She can really move. She's keeping up with the guy that kicked my ass...Troublesome..." He grumbled until his mother smacked him on the head.

"At least she trains." Yoshino scolded.

Soon, it was time for the Teacher and the Mestre to get things started for real as Ino and Setsuna performed the Chamada to bring them in. The two came in from opposite ends of the Roda using the Bandiera. Soon, it was a mix up of Negativas, Gancho, and several other moves all performed with the lightning speed and precision of masters. Just as the music ended, the two of them went into an artistic Au Batido, like a breaker's pose, to cap the presentation off.

_'I hope that gave the guys enough time to dig in and get ready.'_ Ichigo thought as he and the other performers took a bow, making the crowd roar with applause.

"My...That was certainly an artistic fighting style. This was called Capoeira, was it?" The fake Kazekage inquired.

"Yes...It was." Sarutobi answered dryly.

"Hmm...I should like to see this, Brazil, and learn this style of Taijutsu." He replied as the Mestre poofed into a plume of smoke to reveal that he was under a Henge the whole time, now in his Jounin uniform so he could officiate over the matches.

_**"I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU ENJOYED OUR LITTLE SHOW! NOW, WE MOVE ON TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE FINAL EXAM...GAARA VS. CHOUJI AKIMICHI!" **_Ichigo announced, the two fighters staying behind while the rest went back upstairs. Gai took Setsuna back into the stands and dropped her off with Jiraiya and her sister.

"You have fun down there?" Jiraiya asked her with one of his lop-sided grins.

"Yeah! That was really fun, Jii-chan!" Setsuna gushed.

"Hey, Se-chan...That looked like fun down there!" Kana chirped.

"Yeah! Can you teach us some of that some time?" Hanabi added.

"Ha ha! The Mestre Setsuna-sama can teach you, my students!" The spunky Setsuna told them dramatically, making a few adults nearby chuckle.

"Those girls are so cute!" A pretty young woman gushed.

"And their grandfather brought them here too. How sweet!" Her equally attractive friend agreed.

_'*Sigh*...I'm surrounded by cute girls, yes...BUT THEY'RE NOT EVEN OVER TEN AND TWO OF THEM ARE MY SURROGATE GRAND-DAUGHTERS! THE YOUNG LADIES ONLY SEE ME AS A GRANDFATHER! Not fair...'_ The Great Perv...Jiraiya whined as the match below was getting started.

Ino was worried about her teammate. She saw what Gaara did to that one Genin back in the prelims and was tempted to talk him out of competing. However, she knew that he wanted to fight and show that he'd been working just as had as her and to make his father proud of him. His father's opinion of him really meant a lot to him, since he looked up to him so much.

Chouji mustered all of the confidence he had and made his way down to the arena floor while his opponent simply used his sand to teleport down there, the two of them meeting up in the middle of the arena. Ichigo looked back and forth between them.

"Are you ready?" He asked of them.

"Y-yeah!" Chouji shouted, trying to pump himself up.

"Hurry up..." Gaara said impatiently.

"FIGHT!"

Gaara wasted no time in trying to crush Chouji to a pulp, but the portly genin already knew what would happen if he got caught. His father had been changing up his training to better stay ahead of Gaara's sand. He worked on his speed and while he was still rather slow, he could still stay slightly ahead of the sand. He lanced out with an enlarged fist to fight back. He didn't really expect it to work, but it helped get the sand to back off so it could defend Gaara. Spurred on by his attack, Chouji just went wild with his attacks, wailing away at Gaara's sand shield until it finally gave way, a massive fist clocking Gaara cleanly .

This shocked everyone in the audience, especially the Suna team. Chouji had scored a direct hit on Gaara, something that was thought to be impossible and Gaara was having a hard time getting back up. However, upon closer inspection, his face seemed like it had cracks in it, like the impact never happened. The sand rushed in and sealed it, Gaara's once dead expression now one of anger as his sand wrapped around Chouji quickly. He struggled and struggled, trying to break free, but the sand was quickly enveloping him.

_**SAND COFFIN...**_

"CHOUJI!" Ino screamed in horror. Ichigo was ready to rescue Chouji, but Chouji wasn't quite ready to give up yet.

_**NIKUDAN HARI SENSHA!**_

The Sand Coffin began to bulge outward, then exploded, revealing Chouji in his expanded form, rows of kunai knives strapped around him. He them rolled himself into his Human Boulder plus the knives and sent himself careening toward Gaara. He threw up a sand shield just in time, but his defenses were slowly being ground away. Acting quickly, Gaara turned the ground beneath Chouji into soft dirt, making him dig himself into a hole. After another moment, Chouji ground to a halt, stuck and completely helpless in the ground. He had no choice but to quit.

"I give up. You got me." He announced, but Gaara refused to acknowledge it.

"No...Mother hasn't been satisfied yet..." Gaara spoke in his usual creepy tone as the sand slithered up to Chouji's head and began to suffocate him.

"GAARA! STOP RIGHT NOW!" Ichigo commanded, but it went ignored. Cursing under his breath, he quickly charged up a chakra pulse and launched it, severing the sand from Chouji and knocking Gaara back.

"This your final warning. If you disobey my orders again, you will be disqualified. Is that clear?" Ichigo growled at the disrespectful Genin, who continued to just glare at him.

"I SAID IS THAT CLEAR, GENIN?" He roared, his voice carrying up to the Kage seats quite well.

"...Yes..." He complied as he skulked back up to the competitors area and waited for his next match. He knew that he was no match for this proctor, even his Bijuu told him not to fight him.

In the Kage's box, Sarutobi wasn't amused by Gaara's actions.

"Your son needs to listen to the proctor." Sarutobi scowled.

"Yes...Gaara never really seems to respond well to authority figures." The_ Kazekage_ replied.

Ino lept down from the stands to help her teammate back up to the contestant's box while Ichigo got ready to announce the next match.

_**"NEXT MATCH...SAKURA HARUNO VS. KANKURO!"**_

Sakura heard her name called and she turned to Naruto.

"Wish me luck, Naruto-kun." She told him as she stole a quick kiss from him.

"I will, but I doubt you'll need it." He replied with a teasing grin. Ino watched the pair with a little bit of jealously.

_'I have to win and fight her...I need to tell her how I feel about him and get some closure, one way or the other.' _Ino thought as she steeled her resolve and Sakura lept down to the field.

Hitomi was watching anxiously from the stands near the girls. She was chomping at the bit to see her daughter win her fights.

_'She's trained hard for today...I know she can beat this kid.'_ Hitomi thought, having the utmost confidence in her daughter.

She and Kankuro met face to face, calculating each other carefully.

_'She's gonna be tough...But I can take her, even if she did beat sis.'_ Kankuro surmised.

_'I already know that he's tricky and he's probably built in more tricks by now...I'll need to take him down quickly and I have the means to do it.'_ Sakura thought as she readied herself.

"Ready..._**FIGHT**_!" Ichigo announced as the two tensed, but didn't move. They were waiting for each other to make the first move and possibly the first mistake.

"So...You were able to beat my sister, huh? Che...She was beat by a runt like you...Pitiful..." Kankuro goaded, but it wasn't affecting his intended target. Instead, his sister up in the stands was looking like she was ready to blow a head gasket.

"KANKURO! I'LL SKIN YOUR PAINTED ASS FOR THAT!" Temari bellowed from the stands, making him pale.

"Aw crap...She heard me..." He groaned, but Sakura saw her chance to lunge in and take him apart. He noticed her in time and set his puppet, Karasu on her. She dodged out of the way and did the last thing he expected, but the worst thing to do to a puppeteer...Cut the stings. Karasu fell lifelessly to the ground and was refusing to respond. In a panic, he looked over toward his opponent and saw that her had was encased in green chakra...And nearly wet himself.

_'SHIT!'_ He freaked out inwardly as she closed the gap between them quickly and he was forced to rely on his poor Taijutsu skills. The fight wasn't really so much of a fight at this point, but an ass-kicking spree of biblical proportions. After a full minute of getting his ass beaten to a pulp, Ichigo saw fit to call the match in her favor, almost feeling sorry for the Suna Genin..._Almost_. She then picked him up by the collar of his black jumpsuit and held him up to Temari.

"Hey! You want a turn at him?" She yelled out.

"GLADLY! That little punk..." The livid kunoichi muttered as she stomped her way over to the contestant's box to claim the soon-to-be chew toy. Upon picking him up and dragging him out of the box, a series of painful sounds could be heard, making many of them wince. Naruto pulled his attention away form the impromtu torture session and onto his girlfriend.

"You did really well out there, Hime." He told her.

"Thanks...I hope you do good, too." She replied, the two of them staring into each other's eyes.

"Geez...Get a room!" Tenten taunted playfully.

"Tenten-chan...They are only showing their youthful feelings for each other!" Lee retorted to his former teammate.

"God Lee...I was only joking with them." Tenten admonished, making him wilt slightly.

"Oh...Sorry..." He replied sheepishly, but she punched him playfully on the arm.

"'S'okay, Lee." She said cheerfully.

Up in the Kage box, the two leaders were reviewing the results of the match.

"I dare say that the Haruno girl dominated this match. Kankuro did not stand a chance against her once he lost his puppet. It seems that she is a Taijutsu specialist, a bad match for a Kugutsu." Sarutobi commented.

"Hmph." Was what he got in return as the next match was announced.

_**"NEXT MATCH...NARUTO UZUMAKI VS. TENTEN!"**_

Naruto noticed that she was looking very nervous, but after what he did to Sasuke, he couldn't blame her. On the other hand, Tenten was nervous, yes, but she knew he wouldn't do to her what he did to Sasuke, that being beating her into a barely identifiable pulp. She sighed, steeled herself, and hopped down there to face off against one of her best friends.

_'I hope I'm up to this...'_ Tenten thought as she got herself ready.

Up in the stands, the four small girls all got up and stood out in an open row where they'd have a little more room. Everyone around them were puzzled at what they were doing...Until the infamous words were spoken.

_**OIROKE NO JUTSU!**_

All four girls were transformed into every young man's _**( And lonely Pervert's...)**_ fantasy, a quartet of perky, scantily clad cheerleaders ripped right out of one of Jiraiya's infamous novels. Almost every male with a pulse within view sprouted nose bleeds as all four knockouts started up their little routine. Sakura and the other girls were mortified, but couldn't help but feel a little envious at their figures, even if they weren't real. Kakashi had two bulges growing, one on his face and the other...You know where that is, folks. Even up in the Hokage's box, Sarutobi was hit suddenly.

"Hokage-dono...Is there something wrong?" Oro-pedo asked.

"No...Nothing is wrong." He answered as calmly as he could, his nose bleeding a gallon a minute.

_'No, no...Bad Saru, Bad! Those are you Great-granddaughters down there, for God's sake!'_ He was screaming at himself.

"_Go, Go, Nii-chan, Go, Go!" _The four girls chanted as they danced in their adult bodies.

Hitomi wasn't really amused, per se...She was laughing her head off at the widespread damage the girls caused. Besides, she thought that it was a rather cute idea that they wanted to cheer him on and because of that, she couldn't bring herself to get mad at them. However, next to her, Jiraiya was furiously scribbling down notes, a pervy grin on his face.

"Hee, hee, hee! These girls are geniuses! Damn, I'm proud!" He clamored, crying _"Manly Tears"_. Hitomi sighed as she leaned over.

"You know...Two of them _are_ your Granddaughters..." She told him, bursting his bubble and was enjoying seeing him visually deflate.

Down in the arena, Ichigo was trying..._trying_ to suppress a headache as he glared at Naruto.

"If I find out _you_ taught them that..." He growled, leaving his threat hanging there to let him picture his gruesome end himself.

"What do you mean, _me_?! I wouldn't do that!" Naruto protested, but knew of _one_ little snot that probably did.

"That little turd Konohamaru...He's SO gonna get it after this is all over!" Naruto yelled. Said little turd was now wishing he could become invisible now that Hitomi and several others were all glaring at him.

"Alright...We'll deal with this later. Are both of you ready?" Ichigo asked them, to which they agreed.

"Alright then..._**FIGHT!**_" He shouted as he lept back to a safe distance while the two contestants lept in.

Tenten was hesitant about mixing it up with him, but wanted to just get the initial clash over with. Naruto was eager to fight Tenten to see just how far she had come. He truly treasured her as a friend and to not give his all during this match would be an insult. With a hint of impatience, Naruto lept in for the first strike. His kunai clashed with hers as they locked up for a moment until Naruto lashed out with a sweeping kick to knock her feet from under her. She hopped over it chamber a sweeping roundhouse kick to his head, which was blocked as a light taijutsu exchanged was started.

After they exchanged more blows, Naruto managed to kick her away and swapped to his regular close quarters style, Muay Thai and pressed his attack. Tenten was forced to fall back, using every shred of training that Kakashi gave her just to hold him at bay. She managed to catch a lucky break when he over extended one of his kicks and allowed her to back off.

"You're no slouch, Ten-chan." Naruto praised.

"You either...I'm really starting to enjoy this little fight!" Tenten replied as she drew the saber that passed down to her by Kakashi himself. It was the very saber that made his father so famous, and he passed it down to her...

_**FLASHBACK...**_

_Tenten was training hard for her matches in the Finals, pouring every ounce of her being into her efforts. Kakashi was nothing short of impressed with the girl's drive to succeed, her ability to wield any weapon and adapt quickly. She was bound and determined to show the world that kunoichi were every bit as deadly as their male counterparts. _

_ 'Maybe...It's time that I passed it down. I don't know if I'll live long enough to have children of my own...And she is like a niece to me. She has more than earned the right to carry it into battle. She is the only member of this team embodies all that it means to be a Konoha shinobi and does so proudly. I couldn't be any more proud of her. I just hope that...Someday she will pass this down to a student that is worthy enough to carry it.' The Copy-nin thought as he called her over. _

_ "Yes, sensei?" She asked, panting and huffing with fatigue._

_ "I...just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You succeeded where two prodigies and geniuses failed, showing everyone that skill and ability have to be earned." He told her. She blushed slightly from the praise._

_ "I...I'm not as strong as Naruto or Lee, though...And I don't have a big clan name or special eyes backing me like Sasuke or Neji." She admitted._

_ 'Yet another reason why she's earned it. She's still modest...'_

_"That might be true, but you have just as much guts and determination as they do and as for a clan name...It's overrated as you've proven. You've grown beyond my expectations...And I never thought my finest student would be a girl. My sensei must be laughing right now." Kakashi mused aloud with a chuckle._

_ "I don't think you ever told us who your sensei was." She inquired. He pointed to the North of the village...To Hokage Mountain._

_ "His face is up there." He told her with an eyesmile, enjoying watching her gape in disbelief._

_ "No way...The Yondaime?" She gasped._

_ "Yes...Rin and myself were his students, along with an Uchiha named Obito..." He started as he told her all about his old team, making her giggle when she heard what Obito was like._

_ "He sounds a bit like Naruto..." She replied._

_ "Yeah...He was the most un-Uchiha Uchiha there ever was..." He continued on with his story. He told her of when he gained his Sharingan eye...and Obito's sacrifice._

_ "He was my best friend...And it was thanks to him, that I am the shinobi I am today. Everything I am, I owe to him. Minato-sensei treated us all equally and when the Kyuubi attacked, he asked Rin and I to help watch over his legacy." He said, knowing that Tenten was smart enough to know what that meant._

_ "Naruto...He's the Yondaime's Legacy, isn't he? Because of the Kyuubi?" She asked._

_ "Yes, he is. You saw through the lies of the village and saw who he is as a person. Again, for that, I am very proud of you and I'd like to think that Minato-sensei would have been, too." Kakashi told her sadly, winding down his tale._

_ Tenten was still reeling in shock that the mighty Yondaime was the sensei for her sensei, and that her choices would have made him proud of her, a lowly orphan girl. Kakashi thought that she was getting dangerously close to figuring out that Naruto is the son of his sensei, but was relieved when she didn't question into it further._

_ "Tenten...Just know that win or lose in the finals, I will still be proud of you." He encouraged her as they stopped training for the day. _

_ They stopped by his apartment on the way home so he could give her something truly special._

_ "This is what I wanted to pass down to you. This is how my father, Sakumo Hatake, got the name The White Fang. It's a very special sword in it's own right, like the swords of the Kiri Swordmen and the Niidaime's Raijin. As shinobi, we never know which day will be our last, and I wanted to pass this down to you. Hopefully, you can pass this along to someone you deem worthy when you become a sensei someday." Kakashi told her as he handed her the legendary weapon as they broke for the day. She marvelled at the gift that was bestowed upon her...The White Light Chakra Saber of the White Fang himself. _

_ 'Kakashi-sensei...I will make you proud. I swear it...' She swore as she left for home._

_**FLASHBACK END...**_

_'I'll do my best, sensei. I promise.'_ She swore as she readied herself to strike.

Naruto picked up the tensing in her muscles as she lunged in to strike and attempted to parry with a kunai again, but the saber cut through it like a hot knife through butter. He managed to dodge most of the blow, but some of it still cut his arm slightly as he backed away.

_'Damn...Ten-chan means business and that sword of hers can slice right through anything I block with. I gotta think for a minute...Got it!'_ He thought as he put his impromptu plan into motion.

He let Tenten swing at him some more as he created some Shadow Clones for her to play with and keep her busy while he started on his plans. He had the clones attack her relentlessly, wearing her down. Her stamina was good, but not anywhere near as good as his and he could easily outpace her. After a few minutes of fending off his clones, she was getting tired and it was showing in her slowing pace and the sweat beading on her brow.

_'Dammit! He's like some kind of machine! He just keeps coming and I'm running out of juice and options! Time I used something I've been saving...'_ She thought quickly as she lept back to get a little distance, pulling out two scrolls in the process. She quickly unfurled them with a flourish and unsealed all of the weapons within.

_**SOUSHORYUU!**_

Naruto now had to contend with a literal hailstorm of weapons of all shapes and sizes being lobbed at him, forcing him to dodge like crazy.

_'Holy crap! Where the hell did she get all of those weapons?! Did she rob the outfitter?!' _ He told himself as he flew through handseals for a particular Fuuton jutsu that would be very useful here.

_**FUUTON : KAZE NO TATE!**_

A protective barrier of wind roared to life around him, protecting him from the steel hailstorm. All of her attacks were now just bouncing off of his shield of wind and rendered all further attacks useless while Tenten looked on in despair.

"No..." She whispered as she dropped to the ground, the last of her energy spent during the weapon summoning. She had completely run out of options, her muscles were screaming at her, and if she chose to fight even more, she would only suffer a beatdown...So she surrendered.

"Proctor...I give. I can't keep this up..." She wheezed out, but her face told a different story. She was disappointed in herself, greatly.

"She really gave her all down there. I couldn't possibly ask for more than that from her." Kakashi said, a smile on his face.

"Yes, she really did. She has gotten so strong..." Gai agreed.

"I know. I'm very proud of her." Kakashi replied as he got up to go meet her as Naruto was announced the winner.

_'She did really well despite Naruto being a stamina freak...She's an incredible girl...'_ Ichigo mused with a grin.

Up in the Kage box, Sarutobi was continuing to play his part in the ruse. "So...Naruto has really shown tremendous growth since his Academy days. First he defeats the Uchiha prodigy, now he wins against our budding weapons mistress. In her defense, she held out well against someone with so much stamina, but she will still need some seasoning. I feel that she will certainly make Chuunin on her next exam."

"Hn...The Uzumaki boy...Is he not your village's jinchuuriki? Why did he not use his powers? He certainly gave up a great advantage. I do not see that as Chuunin material." The _Kazekage_ argued.

"Ah...But there's the thing. He knows that power like that must be handled responsibly and he would only use it as a last resort. In his battle with the Uchiha, the Uchiha was actively trying to kill him and he called upon that strange chakra if you remember." Sarutobi countered with a knowing grin. Orochimaru shut up to avoid overplaying his hand.

_'So Kakashi passed down his father's heirloom. He couldn't have found a more fitting and worthy successor to become the next White Fang. I can imagine that many will be following her career with great interest.'_ Sarutobi thought.

"Good fight, Ten-chan. You nearly got me a few times and kept me on my toes." Naruto told her supportively as he helped her to her feet. She was one of his best friends and she had done exceedingly well.

"Yeah...Thanks, Naruto. Could...you help me back up there? It's really hard to move right now." She admitted sheepishly. He simply threw her arm around his shoulder and helped her slump back up to the box where she could rest.

On their way back up to the box, Kakashi met them half way and said that he'd take her back, so he went on ahead. She averted her eyes down to the ground, disappointed in her own performance when he'd put so much faith in her.

"Tenten...I'm not disappointed in you. I'm actually proud that you managed to push your opponent that hard. I told you that win or lose, I'd be happy as long as you gave it your all." Kakashi consoled his kunoichi student.

"Thanks...Sensei." She replied as she gave him a quick hug before he helped her to the medic's station to get her treated while down in the arena, Ichigo was ready to call out the next match.

_**NEXT MATCH : SHINO ABURAME VS. HINATA UZUMAKI!**_

Shino and Hinata both vaulted down to the arena floor and faced one another. Yes, they were both teammates and even good friends...But that had no place here and they both knew that. Both had been undergoing intense training for this day and were going to have to fight to earn their promotions. Both were familiar with each other's styles and traits and that was what made Shino sweat. He had very little outside of his Kikai to use against Hinata. Genjutsu were useless and Taijutsu would only end badly and painfully. This left Ninjutsu and trying to outpace her, even though he had nothing outside of the Academy three and his clan's Kikai Jutsu. He could only hope that her stamina was still a little lacking and he could outlast her.

On Hinata's side, she had been busy preparing countermeasures for Shino's bugs and anything else she could think of. Thanks to Kurenai's hard training, she had further unlocked her secondary element...Lightning. She was now able to mix it ino her attacks to an extent along with something she had been working on since she had been shown the conductivity trick. She had lined her coat with chakra conductive wiring along with insulation, so that anyone that got too close to her would get the surprise of their lives, her turning herself into a human bug zapper and stun gun. On top of all that, she had been increasing her capacity, speed, and endurance for this day, three areas where she was known to be a bit lacking.

Kurenai was a bit pensive about two of her students facing off against each other in the finals, but she was also very proud of them for making it this far. Out of all of the Konoha Genin, two from her team made it, all three of Gai's team, one from Asuma and Kakashi each, and two of the Suna Genin. The biggest shocker of them all to many was that the two supposely weakest of the bunch defeated the two Rookies of the Year to get there. Naruto and Hinata had both come so far from where the were before that it was almost surreal. Her whole team had growm immensely and she was happy with that.

_**READY...FIGHT!**_

Hinata wasn't too eager to wait for Shino to make the first move, knowing how easily he could come up with ideas if given the time, so she lept in and decided to keep him on the defensive. Shino wasn't used to Hinata being this agressive, so he tried to send out a cloud of bugs to drain her chakra before she could pull off anything nasty, but he was already in for a nasty surprise.

"Sorry, Shino-kun...But I already prepared for you." Hinata told him as she channeled her Raiton chakra into her jacket, quickly stunning all of his bugs and leaving him with little else. With his primary defense and offense neutralized, he had no choice but to fall back and resort to thrown weapons. She wasn't going to let up the pressure, so she darted off after him, nailing him with one of her Raiton powered Jyuuken strikes to his legs. His legs quickly gave out on him due to the electrical charge scrambling his nerves and rendering him helpless. Shino wasn't a fool, he knew he was beaten.

"Proctor, I concede defeat. She has neutralized me at all ranges and shut me down. If this were a real battle, I would be dead." Shino told Ichigo. He nodded and walked over to Hinata, raising her hand.

_**THE WINNER...HINATA UZUMAKI!**_

Up with the Kage's, they were again reviewing what happened.

"That Hyuuga girl...How did she cast a lightning jutsu over her body like that?" The disguised Orochimaru asked in fascination.

"Hmm...I don't know, but I'd like to know how she did it. Her planning was exemplary and her execution was swift and brutal. I believe that even with the results of the next fight, she has earned Chuunin rank." Sarutobi replied, he himself amazed by her ingenuity.

Neji watched her victory with a smirk, especially since Hiashi was stewing in a rage over how she did it. She managed to cast a jutsu over her whole body, then she used Raiton Chakra in her Jyuuken strikes to increase their effectiveness. It was something only she could pull off, since she was the only Hyuuga born besides her mother with a Raiton and Suiton affinity, not a solid Doton like the rest of them. He then looked over to the rest of the Hyuuga elders, who looked like they were regretting kicking her out. They were probably thinking that if she had this much latent talent, just think of how far she could go in the near future.

Over with Kurenai and the girls, Kurenai was damn proud how quickly she put her opponent away and of how far she had come. All she needed was to get away from her _father_ so that she could grow. The little ones were really impressed that their big sister was so strong and wanted to be like her.

As Shino was helped off to the medical station, Ichigo announced the next match.

_**INO YAMANAKA VS. ROCK LEE**_

Ino heard him call for her match and was mentally psyching herself up for what she was preparing to do. She knew that it was a dirty trick to pull on someone like Lee, but in her eyes it was a necessary evil. She had promised him a full out Taijutsu match, but she wouldn't kid herself into thinking that she could take him on like that. Even though she had her nose to the grindstone, she couldn't even scratch the surface of what Lee was capable of physically. She would take the kunoichi approach to this match. She looked over to her opponent, who gave her his standard nice guy pose before vaulting down to the arena below.

_'Sorry, Lee...But I'm a girl on a mission. I have my objective and I will NOT back down.'_ Ino thought as she stole a quick glance over at the couple before following her opponent.

Both of them walked up to the middle of the arena, meeting face to face. Lee still had on a grin, but Ino's face was one of steeled resolve as she kept up her facade. Ichigo saw that they were both ready to go, so he called it.

_**FIGHT!**_

The two of them settled into a rythmn as they started their match, trading blows in the agreed upon style for a few moments. Ino was once again thankful that she had pushed herself so hard during her training, or she would have been out of the running with the first clash. Lee was a seriously powerful fighter and he had a decent amount of experience, but she knew one of his weaknesses. He was very trusting of his fellow nin but in a test such as this, it would prove to be a costly mistake. As they clashed, she slipped her hand into her pouch and palmed a pair of smoke bombs and waited until Lee went high again, as was his habit. As soon as he went for a high hook kick, she feinted low with a negativa and used the bombs.

"Wh-what the?!" Lee gasped for air as he heard a voice.

"I'm sorry, Lee." Ino whispered as she used the Kage Bunshin and then her Shintenshin, the Bunshin holding her body.

She opened her eyes inside of Lee's body and stepped beyond the smoke cloud, the Bunshin doing the same holding her body. Everyone from Konoha knew what happened there when they saw that. Ino was now inside Lee's body. Suddenly, the boy's hand raised.

"Proctor, I give up." Lee/Ino declared.

"Very well..._**WINNER...INO YAMANAKA!"**_

The crowd went dead silent as the announcement was given. Nobody thought that she would be able to defeat the fighting machine and many who thought they bet on a sure fire winner lost BIG. Ino's odds were...Well, it's best not to mention HOW slim they were and how happy her father's wallet is.

"It seems as though Lee-kun will need more seasoning, but he has the skills and strength required for Chuunin rank. Ino-chan on the other hand, shows some promise. She overcame a physically superior opponent with cunning. I will need to pay attention to her next match." Sarutobi commented.

Ino released her jutsu and woke up in her own body again, her Kage Bunshin dispelling itself. Lee, who was now recovered from his temporary displacement, looked highly disappointed, although she didn't know at whom, with her or himself. All in all, she wasn't terribly pleased with the way she won either, but her mind was quick to justify her actions. It was all so that she could meet Sakura in the finals and finally get what she was feeling off of her chest and at the same time, prove that she was her friend's equal. She walked up to Lee and tried to apologize, but he already had something to say.

"It's okay, Ino-san...I know why you wanted to win so bad." He told her with a slight grin.

"You...do?" She asked him in a daze.

"It's very obvious even to me that you have something to prove to my teammates and it was my own negligence that caused me to overlook the fact that shinobi are supposed to be cunning, not just powerful. I thank you for teaching me this valuable lesson, Ino-san. I truly hope to spar with my fellow Capoeirista again sometime." Lee replied, showing a grace in defeat that was hard not to be a little proud of. Ino burst forward and hugged him, whispering into his ear.

"Y'know, Tenten is really lucky to have you chasing after her..." She said to him as she pulled away and lept up to the stands, making him blush. After shaking the blush, he lept into the stands to meet with his teacher as Ichigo cleared his throat to address the crowd.

_**"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...THE PRELIMINATY MATCHES ARE NOW COMPLETED! AFTER A SHORT BREAK, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE SEMI-FINAL MATCHES! BEFORE WE BREAK, I WILL NOW ANNOUNCE THE SEMI-FINAL MATCHES :**_

_** FIRST MATCH...NARUTO UZUMAKI VS. HINATA UZUMAKI!**_

Hinata and Naruto both stiffened who they were to fight. They knew that this was an exam and that this was inevitable, but in all honesty they wanted this to happen. They had been wanting to see how they would stack up against each other in combat. Naruto knew that Hinata had gotten much stronger. She was almost a completely different, but much stronger person compared to the sullen, emotionally abused girl she used to be. Naruto had made a turn around himself, a farcry from the dead last of his class and amongst his peers. He was now the strongest among them and had the love of the girl he befriended years ago.

_**SECOND MATCH...SAKURA HARUNO VS. INO YAMANAKA!**_

_'I was waiting for this chance...I need to make sure this doesn't go to waste.'_ Ino thought, her resolve strengthening by the second as she stared at her long time friend.

_'So...I get to fight Ino? Good. Maybe now I can drag out what's been eating her lately.'_ Sakura mused as she glanced right back at her opponent.

_**GAARA OF SUNA HAS RECIEVED A BYE, FACING THE WINNER OF THE FIRST MATCH.**_

Everyone in the stands got up to stretch their legs, visit a vendor or use the facilities during the break while the fighters all got themselves prepped for their fights.

_**OUTSIDE OF THE STADIUM AND OUT IN THE FOREST...**_

A large army of Suna and Oto shinobi were laying in wait for the signal to begin the attack. They were split into three groups of 300 shinobi apiece, gathered around large summoning arrays. These arrays were meant to summon the massive adult Snake summons to spearhead their invasion assault. Suna had their reasons for allying with Orochimaru, that being the Wind Daimyo sending most of their missions to other villages, mainly Konoha. The Wind Daimyo never liked the Yondaime Kazekage and let his displeasure be known. Financially, this left them in a very dire situation. Some of their people were beginning to starve, the rate of nin going rouge was increasing at an alarming rate. Even some of the Oinin were going rouge, the ones who were supposed to catch nukenin. That's how bad things were getting.

Meanwhile, within the village's walls, one Sasuke Uchiha had packed his belongings into his bag and had stashed it just beyond the village walls and was about to walk away. He suddenly stopped.

"That dobe must die...But not before I give him a little...going away present." Sasuke grinned evilly as he went over to the Stadium to wait for the big kickoff.

_**AT THE VILLAGE ENTRANCE**_

At the entrance to the village, two women strolled up to the gates and up to the guards. One was somewhat plain in a way, but cute in others. She had bobbed black hair and a simple black robe, but what really stood out was the fact that she was carrying a small pig wearing a vest and a necklace. The woman with her, however, really stood out. She was somewhat tall for a woman with her long blond hair pulled back into twin tails and a small diamond symbol on her forehead, as if her impressive cleavage didn't stand out enough. The blond woman stood looking at the gates and sighed deeply.

"The old fart better not be pulling my leg..." She grumbled as she turned to her companion.

"C'mon, Shizune...Let's go see that old monkey. He said that the Exams were today and thats where he'd be." She ordered.

"Y-Yes, Lady Tsunade!" She replied as she quickened her pace to match that of her mistress, approaching the gate guards.

"Halt! Papers please." One of them asked, the other nearly mesmerized by her chest. She groaned with exasperation and grabbed the staff of the guard ogling her. Then using her thumb, she snapped it in half like a pencil.

"Does THAT prove who I am?" She grunted as she pushed past them, Shizune apologizing quickly before running to catch up.

"No way...Lady Tsunade of the Sannin?! Here?!" One gasped.

"I'm just glad she didn't kill me for ogling her." The other shuddered as they got back to their duties.

_**AT THE STADIUM**_

Tsunade and Shizune had arrived at the stadium and were making their way up to the Kage's box when a reel of highlights was played on a screen for all to see during the intermission. She saw one of a pink haired girl's match and was slightly impressed with her usage of the Chakra Scalpel to fight a Suna Puppeteer, but the next reel stopped her in her tracks. She saw a blond boy who was the spitting image of Minato fighting a brown hair girl who was throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him. She saw him wind his way through the steel onslaught and engage her, but the girl pulled out something she hadn't seen since the Second Shinobi War...The White Light Chakra Sabre.

"Now there's something you don't see everyday." She commented as she watched the rest of the matches. She was actually mildly impressed with this group of Genin as she watched them before heading up to the Kage box, where she entered uncontested past the guards.

"Tsunade…I see that you actually read the missive." Sarutobi remarked with a chuckle, making her frown slightly more than usual.

"That damn summon you sent wouldn't leave me alone until I did, you old goat. Besides, once I read it, I had to come see for myself, so I hope you didn't waste my time. There's a poker tournament in the capitol I'd like to be at." She replied, her arms folded under her impressive bust.

"I asure you that I most certainly did NOT waste your time, Tsunade. However, it will have to wait until after the finals to be revealed. Until then, sit with me and watch the final matches. They promise to be very exciting, as we haven't had a crop this promising in quite a long time." Sarutobi told her, Raido pulling out a chair for her as she sat.

"I can only assume that my pervert of a teammate is here, too?" She asked.

"That he is, Tsunade. He's down in the seating area with his granddaughters." Sarutobi told her, intentionally letting the granddaughter part slip and enjoying the look of surprise on her face.

"Shizune. I need you to go find Jiraiya and find out what the hell's going on." She ordered her assistant as she herself greeted the Kazekage, whom she got a strange vibe from, not good.

"Right away, Lady Tsunade." She responded as she deftly complied with the command, taking Tonton with her.

"Kazekage-sama...A pleasure to see you here." Tsunade greeted coolly.

"Likewise, Tsunade. It is quite a surprize to see two of the three Sannin in attendance after so many years of absence." Orochimaru played his part, not really knowing if his ruse was exposed or not yet.

_'No matter...I can still take this drunken floozy and the old man down easily. The only real threat is Jiraiya, but I will be done with these two before he can help.' _ Orochimaru thought as he carried on with the ruse.

Down in the seating area, Shizune was on the lookout for her mistress's old teammate. She had seen pictures of him as was quite sure that he would stand out in a crowd. After a moment of scanning the crowd, she spotted him and made her way over to him.

"Excuse me, Lord Jiraiya?" She asked, getting his attention.

It took a moment, but Jiraiya managed to recognise the student of his old teammate.

"Ah…Shizune. It's been a long time and I can see that you're not that scrawny little girl anymore…" The old sage replied, a slightly lecherous tone mixed into his greeting. Before she could reply with indignance, another person joined in.

"Shizune? Is that really you?" Hitomi asked her old schoolmate.

"Hitomi…It's really good to see you!" Shizune perked up.

"Who is she, kaa-chan?" Setsuna asked, Kana asked the same.

"She's an old friend of mine from my Academy days." Hitomi explained.

"That's the truth of it, runts. She's also the student of my old teammate." Jiraiya added.

"Really, Jii-san?" Kana inquired.

"Uh…You had kids?" Shizune asked her old classmate.

"Yes…I do. My eldest daughter is in the finals, and these two…It's a long story." Hitomi trailed off, giving her a brief explanation of the situation that saw the two girls in Konoha and in her care.

It made her head hurt at first, but she understood in the end, leaving it at that until she could explain this to her mistress. They also explained about Naruto, confirming that the Hokage was indeed telling the truth and had a legit reason for summoning them there. She knew that the Mitokado guy was bad news and slimy as hell, but her friend paid the price. Not all things were as bad as they could have been, though. She was a bit giddy at the fact that young Naruto was so smitten with her friend's daughter and that Sakura returned the feelings, but nearly went on a personal SND mission to find and eliminate the Uchiha scion as painfully as possible. The situation with Ichigo was confusing, but she was happy that her friend was engaged to marry him and they made each other happy. They all sat down to watch the rest of the finals as they started. Shizune saw the boy her mistress had come here to find and had to admit that he was the spitting image of his father and even though the situation had been explained, she had to suppress her surprise at the name of his opponent.

_**Semi-finals first match...Naruto Uzumaki vs. Hinata Uzumaki!**_

This match promised to be a real blockbuster. Two real underdogs that took these exams by storm were about to square off and the crowd was on the edge of their seats in anticipation. They got over their disappointment that the Uchiha and Hyuuga Geniuses had been clipped early on. Sasuke who? Neji what? The two had almost been forgotten in the face of these new rising stars such as Rock Lee, Ino Yamanaka, Tenten, and the other finalists. Sakura Haruno made a strong showing for herself when she took down not only Temari from Suna, but her puppet using teammate using her head and a mean right cross. Hinata had attracted attention from potential clients with her tactics along with expanding on what made a Hyuuga so dangerous in the first place.

Up in the contestants box, Naruto and Hinata both gave each other a simple nod, a silent agreement to give it their all, and lept down to the arena floor. The two walked up to one another with a determined gait, stopping just short of each other and waiting for the signal to begin. The proctor looked at the two of them, seeing that they were ready.

_**"READY...FIGHT!"**_

Hinata wasted no time in engaging her adoptive brother, who bobbed and weaved his way thought her Jyuken onslaught while attempting to counter attack against her, but her ability to shut him down AND stun him was keeping him from doing anything risky. Finally, he spotted a gap in her offence and grabbed her wrists and spread her arms apart, leaving her midsection open. He then launched a front kick to her stomach knocking her away but she managed to nail him with a palm heel to his left cheek, giving him a split lip and her a large bruise on her stomach.

The crowd was going wild over the Taijutsu exchange, many of them lauding their skill. Kurenai was proud that her student was going toe to toe with someone that was personally trained by not only Gai, one of the best Taijutsu masters the world had ever seen, but also Ichigo, Kakashi, and Jiraiya of the Sannin to an extent, and managed to break even with him. Hinata was really coming into her own and a Taijutsu mistress, developing her own style completely of her own design. Shino was no pushover, but she took him down with ruthless efficency. Even Kurenai herself had to be very careful when in close with her and she was a full Jounin. Lining her coat with those chakra wires and insulation was a work of genius, but she could see that her adoptive gaurdian's tinkering had rubbed off on her and gave her imagniation and ingenuity an entirely new and broad spectum of possiblities.

Naruto had also come very far since her Academy days. He started out at the very bottom of the barrel in every avenue of the ninja arts, but he used his incredible stamina and his ingenuity to his advantage, along with willing sensei and a work ethic that rivaled that of Gai and his protege Lee, to take himself farther than anyone thought possible. This had come to a head in the Prelims when he took out the Uchiha genius in a brutal knockdown, dragout battle, during which the Uchiha admitted to rape and the willingness to commit such horrors again, which lost him a lot of public support. However, the way Naruto handled the situation gained him the respect of the shinobi and some of the general populace. If he truly were a demon, he would have destroyed the village in retaliation.

"Good move, nee-chan." Naruto said.

"You too, nii-chan. We should really step this up a notch." She replied, lightning chakra arcing all around her arms as she activated her _**RAIKEN**_.

"Yeah...Let's do it." Naruto answered her challenge, boosting his wind chakra output even higher to counter her lightning, throwing himself at her once again.

The mêlée barrage once again started with Naruto leaping in quickly with a flying knee which Hinata blocked and pushed away from, jabbing at his limbs to shut him down, but he twisted out of her reach with a spinning elbow to her head. She ducked this and countered a roundhouse kick, blocked by a standard Muay Thai guard as he started to throw low kicks to keep her off balance. This tactic was starting to work, with him throwing out front kicks for good measure to her stomach to push her back since he had longer arms than she did and could reach farther. Finally, Hinata grew weary of being pushed away, so she took a page out of Ino's book and used her flexibility and agility to her advantage. She bent backwards at a complete 90 degree angle, planted her hands down into a handstand and kicked out with her legs, catching him full on the mouth with a heel, righting herself with a spin. Naruto spun away from blow to recover, but Hinata was hot on his heels, not willing to chance him recovering and overwhelming her.

So far, he hadn't used any ninjutsu and that worried her, since he would have an insurmountable advantage there. She was far better equipped to handle close quarter threats than mid to long range threats as she was right now. She was primarily geared as a Taijutsu fighter like her former clan. She knew a few other jutsu, but Naruto had already seen them and would know to avoid them. Naruto, on the other hand, was very devious and tricky, along with being physically powerful and skilled with endurance far above her own. She knew that if she stood any chance of winning, she would have to put him away quickly.

Naruto quickly thought of all that he knew about how Hinata fought. She was a brilliant close quarters fighter, blindingly fast and very flexible. She seemed to be able to attack from multiple angles that he just couldn't. Her weakness was that she was still vulnerable to the same things the Hyuuga were, eye irritants and that she needed it to use her Jyuuken. She could fight quite well without it, but her strength was still lacking since she focused on speed and flexibility. She also still had somewhat poor endurance, despite all that she has done to improve it. She was very lethal in spurts, but just couldn't keep it up for very long, at least not as long as he could. Finally, he thought it time to put her away as he summoned a pair of Kage Bunshin and had them stand by.

"Sorry, Hina-chan...But it's time to end this." Naruto toned as he seemed to fly right at her and engaged her in another fierce flurry of blows.

Hinata cranked up her speed even higher as she managed to nail him in the gut with an electrified palm, but before she could follow up, she was knocked off balance by a blast of wind that nearly toppled her. She tried to take down the wind using clone, but another clone, using Suiton, blasted her with a water bullet that sent her flying with a small shriek of pain. Before she could get up, she saw him over her with a kunai to her face.

"Sorry, Hina-chan..." He whispered apologetically.

"You...You got me...I give." She replied, her bangs shadowing her eyes as he helped her to her feet and into a strong hug.

_**WINNER : NARUTO UZUMAKI!**_

The crowd went completely bonkers at the announcement. A good deal of people whooped in glee, stating that they'd won a small fortune while others looked like they'd betted their lives away. Neji was proud of how well she did down there, knowing that he couldn't have done a better job himself, however, Hiashi was smoldering with rage as he tore off down to the box.

Kurenai was beaming down at her student with pride, that she'd gone all out to win and held nothing back, as were her two teammates. Hanabi raced over to the contestants box to see her sister, Hitomi asking Jiraiya and Shizune to watch the other girls as she chased after her. Jiraiya was just as impressed by the girl and how she held off his student as long as he did, as well as by her unique technique.

Tsunade was also highly impressed by her ingenuity, taking things and combining them into something that was completely of her own design, just like she did but at an older age. Tsunade hadn't developed her strength technique and the taijutsu style that accompanied it until she was a Jounin, but Hinata was only thirteen and a rookie Genin, but she had already accomplished that and more. Naruto had also put up a hell of a fight, withstanding her withering barrage of lightning powered attacks, but he managed to find ways around it and beat her. Sarutobi seemed to mirror her sentiment.

"Hinata has showed tremendous growth from the shy and downtrodden girl she used to be into this powerful and proud kunoichi we see now. I believe that she has more than earned her vest and so has Naruto. This was a spectacular match, one for the record books." Sarutobi announced to a now silent _Kazekage_.

_'Hmm...This Hyuuga girl is quite interesting. I never would have thought of trying something like this, but I can only imagine the control it would take. Her's might be on par with Tsunade's to pull this off...'_ Orochimaru thought. He was now thinking of adding her to his list of targets to take back to Oto with him.

In the competetor's box, Hanabi had slipped in and latched onto her elder sister like a barnacle, the two of them enjoying a family moment as Hinata circled her arms around her. Behind them, Hitomi was letting the girl do her thing but another person made his way down to the box was demanding to be allowed inside.

"Stand aside...I must speak with my daughter." Hiashi demanded.

"No. Only contestants and sensei are allowed inside. Please leave or we will be forced to remove you." The guard ANBU replied firmly, not budging an inch from his post.

"Dammit Hiashi...Don't you get it? You aren't their father anymore, you've never been one to begin with! Hokage-sama warned you to stay away, so have Ichigo-kun and Jiraiya-sama! Leave now, or I'll be forced to deal with you..." She drew her katana slowly for effect. "Permanently." She snarled, her blade's dark finish looking sinister in the low lighting of the passageway.

Hiashi was about to attack her, but the ANBU was also drawing his ninjato and his odds of pulling this off suddenly hit rock bottom and he stomped away once again. Hitomi let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in as she re-sheathed her blade as sealed it away once again. The ANBU also relaxed as got back to his duties as Hitomi retrieved Hanabi, walking her back to the stands.

Hinata and Naruto returned to the box and received praise from most of the remaining contenders.

"That was a really good match, Naru-kun! You too, Hinata-chan!" Sakura greeted.

"Yeah! You two did pretty well down there. I wouldn't be surprized if you two made Chuunin!" Ino added, but changed gears.

_'I still have my most important match in front of me...I need to be ready.'_ Ino thought, her gaze going back and forth between Naruto and Sakura. Hinata could see what was going on and gracefully excused herself.

"I'm going to go sit with the girls, now. Good luck!" Hinata said in farewell as she departed for the stands. She arrived at the stands and sat with her younger siblings and Jiraiya.

"You know...You did damn good out there against him." Jiraiya commented.

"Yeah...I still think I could have done something different." Hinata sighed.

"As long as you know that fact and learn from this, you'll only be stronger for it." Jiraiya replied sagely as they turned their attention back down to the arena for the next match.

"Finally...My daughter and her friend are going to settle whatever it was that was bothering them." Hitomi sighed.

"What's been eating the two of them?" Jiraiya asked.

"I can answer that one." Shiho Yamanaka piped up near them, coming over to sit with them as she answered their question.

"I'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb to _not_ notice how my daughter has feelings for Naruto-kun. However, since her best friend is already going out with him and now this whole incident drawing them closer together, she has kept silent about it out of respect." Shiho told them.

"Wow...That's very mature of her." Shizune replied appraisingly.

"Mm hm...But, I think she's going to lay it all out during her match with Sakura. That way...In case things go south, they are already fighting. She's a stubborn girl when she sets her mind to something." The elder blond replied.

"Oh ho...The brat's in for an interesting ride." Jiraiya smirked.

Up in the booth, the two girls in question stared at each other with a blazing intensity, so much so that they almost didn't hear Ichigo call them down to the arena.

_**NEXT MATCH : SAKURA HARUNO Vs. INO YAMANAKA!**_

The two snapped out of it and immeadiately snapped down to the arena floor without so much as a word to anyone. The two Genin faced each other with a chilling silence that was more than a little unnerving.

"So...Are you finally going to tell me what the hell is going on and why you've been avoiding me?" Sakura asked, a hint of anger in her calm tone.

"Oh...You will. I'll tell you _everything _ you want to know about that, and I won't stop until you understand where I'm coming from." Ino replied, a determined gaze setting in on her face as she started to get into rhythm.

"Ready?" Ichigo asked.

"Let's do this, piggy." Sakura hissed.

"Fine then, Forehead. I always wanted to see where I stood with you." Ino replied.

"FIGHT!" Ichigo yelled as the two of them immediately clashed.

Sakura was going to fight her without using her Yunagi, but she would most definitely use her Shinmeiryuu unarmed techniques. Ino's attacks were coming in from all angles, her natural flexibility allowing her to compensate for having a little less striking power than her opponent. After the first clash and exchange of blows, the two girls backed off.

"What the hell is your problem, Ino?! What's been bugging you?!" Sakura yelled as she attacked again and again, the both of them sustaining heavy bruises and tiring.

"It's hard to tell you what's been bothering me, Sakura...But, I feel like I can tell you now that we got that out of our systems." Ino replied, her tone much softer than it was before.

"Wh-what?" Sakura was taken back by her tone, but was compelled to listen.

"Do you remember? That day back at the Academy when Naruto-kun yelled at us, and I did that brain dive on him and Sasuke?" Ino asked, Sakura nodding and not really knowing where this was going.

"...After I went into Naruto-kun's head...I...Fell in love with him. I got to know the real Naruto, the one that he hid away from the world in fear that people would try to demoralize him even more. After all of that...I just couldn't help it. I really do love him, and I would never do anything to hurt him." Ino finally admitted. It was a literal bombshell that she dropped on them.

Up in the box and over in the stands, Naruto was just as flabbergasted with the news that the beautiful blond girl was also in love with him. Hinata, who was at one time in love with him, had come to grips with her feelings long ago and where her crush once was, she now viewed him as family.

"Oh man...Sakura-san is _not_ going to like this." Hinata surmised.

"You mean...You've been in love with _my _boyfriend all this time, but didn't say anything?" Sakura asked, her voice weak.

"That's the truth...But, I've also never tried to put any moves on him, either. I respect you too much for that and I don't want to trash our friendship over a boy...Like what happened with Sasuke. I was perfectly willing to let you have him, if it made the both of you happy. It hurt...It hurt so damn much...But I didn't want to betray either of you." Ino answered her, her baby blue eyes now starting to leak tears.

Sakura was completely stunned over all that Ino just revealed to her. She admitted that she was deeply in love with her boyfriend, but then she never did anything to get in the way, no matter how badly she was hurting. Sakura could also tell that Ino took a huge risk to admit her feelings. However, they still had a match to fight.

"I'll give you my answer to that _after_ we fight. PROVE YOURSELF!" Sakura roared as she got her second wind, throwing herself at her opponent with a vengeance, forcing Ino to dodge like crazy and find the energy to fight back.

"Dammit!" Ino hissed as she fought with everything she had. She was hellbent on proving to be a match for her rival and best friend and worthy of the young man she loved.

Blow after crushing blow was landed, many of them making the spectators wince. After another three minutes of punishment being served back and forth, the two girls were barely standing and breathing hard. The two had a multitude of bruises and were bleeding from various cuts from kunai and shuriken. The two stared at one another before winding up for what looked to be the final blow and decision maker of the match.

"GRAAAAHHH!" Sakura roared.

"RRAAGGHHH!" Ino bellowed.

The two kunoichi let their blows fly, their punishing gut punches, which contained the last of their energy, slammed into one another at the same time. The two seemed to freeze in time, the crowd on the edges of their seats to see who would go down and who won this devastating fight. Finally, the both of them slumped forward and collasped face to face. Ichigo looked at the two of them and could tell that they were finished here. They weren't getting back up.

_**"This match has ended in a draw! The fighters have taken each other down!"**_ He announced.

"Well...That was certainly unexpected." Sarutobi stated, Tsunade mirroring her sensei.

"That was an interesting match...Although Minato's gaki is in for a really rough time ahead." Tsunade chuckled.

"Well, regarding their match, I can honestly say that neither is ready for Chuunin rank as of yet, but their skills put them up for consideration for the next exam." Sarutobi mused.

"Yeah...They need a little more seasoning before they're ready, but they have the combat ability. They can fight pretty well." Tsunade replied to his assessment.

Down on the arena floor, the two girls were still laying still on the ground, facing one another.

"I guess...neither of us won..." Ino wheezed.

"Yeah, but...You know what?" Sakura gasped out, trying to catch her breath.

"What?" Ino asked.

"I was thinking...You really love Naruto-kun, don't you?" Sakura asked her.

"I do...What are you...Getting at, Sakura?" Ino inquired.

"Since you...love him as much as I do...Do you want to...Share him?" Sakura ventured. Ino couldn't believe what she heard her friend say, neither could Ichigo.

"Whoa...Didn't see that one coming." He muttered in surprize.

"...What?" Was all a stunned Ino could squeak out.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to move the two of you out of here so we can continue with the exams." Ichigo coughed to get their attention as he gathered them up and got them out of the arena where they could finish their discussion.

"Sakura...Did you really mean what you said?" Ino asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I did. I don't want this to come between us, any of us, so this is the best solution I could think of." Sakura replied.

"We need to ask Naruto what he thinks of this. It's his decision, too." Ino reminded her.

"You're right, Ino. Let's go ask him." Sakura chirped as they left the stands to do just that. They had been overheard by the adults, who deliberated this amongst themselves.

"What the hell just happened?" Hinata said after a one mintue silence, almost checking to see if she was trapped in a Genjutsu or in a parallel universe or something.

"Oh my...I expected them to hash this out, but not like _this_!" Shiho exclaimed.

"I'm pretty surprized with Sakura, too. I never thought she would suggest anything like this." Hitomi added.

"I've heard of men having more than one girlfriend before, but not with the girls suggesting it themselves!" Shizune almost yelled.

"He he...That brat has Minato's charisma, alright!" Jiraiya crowed.

"What did Sakura-neechan mean that she and Ino-neechan would share Nii-chan?" Kana asked.

"Yeah! Is that like when me an' Kana share our toys?" Setsuna asked eagerly, making the ladies sweat and Jiraiya chuckle lecherous.

"Depends on what they share him for..." He cackled out, confusing the girls but making the women angry.

"Jiraiya...Don't go putting ideas in their heads. They already got enough of your ideas if the little stunt they pulled earlier was any indication." Hitomi retorted, her scowl able to burn through plate steel.

"He he...Sorry." He apologized sheepishly.

Over at the competitor's box, the girls managed to garner Naruto's attention and told him what they thought...He passed out for a moment. After they woke him up, they asked him if he would be alright with it. A small corner of his mind told him that it wasn't right...But the rest gave him a resounding _**"HELL YEAH!". **_Even Kyuu voiced her approval, having met Ino personally.

_**"Well, well...That Yamanaka girl has some serious spine if she managed all of this and Sakura has the guts to stand her ground. Those two are more vixen like than I gave them credit for. I approve of this, Naru-chan. They will be good mates for you."**_ Kyuu winked at him from within with a giggle.

_'Are you serious?! I thought you'd get pissed, being a girl and all!'_ Naruto replied.

_**"Why would I? They came up with this themselves and besides...You, of all humans, deserve this, so just enjoy it!"**_ She urged him.

_'If that's not an endorsement, I dunno what is!'_ Naruto thought to himself as he returned to the outside world.

"Hey...Um...Would you get mad at me if I said...I wanted to try this?" Naruto asked timidly, not wanting to set off either girl. The reaction he got was quite a positive one...Since they both tackled him to the ground and kissed him at the same time. They then got off of him and wished him luck in his match.

Speaking of which, Gaara had been waiting for the chance to kill again eagerly. Now, the time had come and he would be allowed to kill to his heart's content soon...He was nearly salivating at the prospect.

"Soon...Killing will start soon...Mother." Gaara muttered to himself as he eagerly awaited his turn.

Up in the Kage Box, Sarutobi and his guards were still standing by for the inevitable assault on the village, but had confirmed that all of their defenses were in place, their scouts confirming all that their informant had leaked to them. Kin hadn't been privy to many of the details, but Shikaku and the other strategists could piece together the rest based on what the young girl had provided. The Genjutsu Wards were in place and active, extra ANBU had been scattered throughout the stadium, hidden amongst the spectators...Konoha had covered their bases well in ensuring that Oto and Suna would not succeed.

Finally, the time for the final match had come.

_**FINAL MATCH...NARUTO UZUMAKI Vs. GAARA!**_

Both Genin made their way down to the arena floor, a murderous look in Gaara's eyes and sadistic glee in the _Kazekage's_.

"Looking forward to this match, I see." Sarutobi commented.

"Oh yes...I have a feeling that it will prove to be very intertaining." He replied, the veil he wore hiding his sinister smirk.

Just the tone of his comment made Tsunade feel ill at ease. She could tell that something was seriously wrong, but that her sensei knew about it and was playing along for now. It wouldn't do for her to spoil whatever surprize her sensei had in store, so she corrected herself.

Just outside of the Stadium, Sasuke was preparing to launch an attack of his own on Naruto's family, doing as much damage as he could before seomone came to help them, starting with the two little ones. He was told by Orochimaru that he would be very grateful if he secured both of them, taking them back to Oto with them. What he didn't count on, though, was who he'd have to fight to get to them.

Back down on the floor, Gaara and Naruto faced one another, Ichigo coming between them.

"Now...We all want a good fight, but when I say stop, I damn well mean it. I won't hestitate to take down the Genin that won't follow my orders." Ichigo informed the two of them as he got ready to start the fight.

The crowd was on the edge of their seats. This was the match they had been waiting for the entire time. Sure, the other matches had been splendid and the Genin proved themselves quite well, but this match was what they wanted.

_**READY...FIGHT!**_

At his signal, Gaara wasted no time in attacking, his sand lancing out in an attempt to impale his opponent, but Naruto dodged to the side and further studied his opponent, as Jiraiya and the rest of his teachers had literally pounded into his head.

_'Lesse here...Sand...It's always around him and it's damn fast. What if I could slow it down, like mud? Wait! That's it...'_ Naruto thought in a flash of brilliance.

He immediately created some Kage Bunshin for Gaara to target. His idea was that the more of Gaara's sand that he kept occupied and hit with Suiton jutsu, the less he'd have to protect himself with and the slower his attacks would be. As his plan was being carried out, Gaara's sand was becoming sluggish and after a few more moments, it refused to move. Before he could even register surprize, he was nailed with a water blast that was melting away his Sand Armor. After finally neutralizing Gaara's defense and offense, he lept in for the kill, enaging his with a punishing barrage of Taijutsu that made even his siblings cringe. Temari and Kankurou had never seen anyone bypass Gaara's defenses, much less take him to task like Naruto was doing.

Gaara was being beaten to a bloody pulp out there without his armor to take the damage for him. Naruto had even flooded the arena floor up to ankle deep, just to ensure that the sand wouldn't dry out and spring to Gaara's rescue. Deep within the demented boy, Shukaku was growing enraged.

_**"Idiot boy! The Kyuubi's container is defeating you easily! I want his blood NOW!"**_ Shukaku demanded.

_"Mother...I cannot defeat him...This water is washing away my sand..."_ Gaara replied.

_**"I always have to do things myself!"**_ The demon snarled as it broke free of it's bindings and began to take over.

Outside, Gaara began to convulse and bend at odd angles before more sand shot up through the water, forming a grotesque shell around the boy, a demented, insane, and evil smile on his face.

_**"Yes...I feel it! I feel so ALIVE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_ Shukaku raved madly, his chakra flooding the stadium, which was the cue to begin the invasion.

"Showtime..." Kabuto muttered smugly as he cast his Genjutsu...Only for it to fail.

"What? What's happening?" He panicked, casting the jutsu over and over only for nothing to happen.

Up in the Kage's Box, Orochimaru knew that it was time to begin, but the signal hadn't gone off. He could feel Kabuto trying to cast the Genjutsu, but something was inhibiting them.

_'No! They knew about all of this and prepared for us! No matter...As long as the old fool dies, I can come back and finish the job!'_ Orochimaru reasoned as he shed his disguise, taking Sarutobi by knife point.

"So...Finally tipped your hand, did you?" Sarutobi chuckled, only further enraging the Nuke-nin.

"You...You old bastard! Even if this invasion fails, I will still have your head!" The Snake Sannin screamed, slicing his throat but instead of blood, a hissing sound was heard.

Sarutobi had already switched with a log with an explosive tag on it. Eyes wide, he narrowly avoided the blast, but two of his lieutenants weren't as lucky. Jiroubo and Sakon had both taken the full blast, one in pieces that was currently raining down over the box and Jiroubo had been blown clean in half with the directed charge. With two of his four guards dead, he could no longer form the barrier that would allow him to take on Sarutobi one on one...Along with the Edo Tensei to further tip the odds in his favor. On top of that set back, his surprize attack had failed and his forces in the stadium were being wiped out by the various high level shinobi that were down there, including Jiraiya and the Jounin from the forest that managed to fight him to a stalemate.

Down on the arena floor, Baki, the Suna sensei, had lept down beside Gaara along with his team.

"Dammit! The invasion plan is ruined! Kill as many Konoha shinobi and civilians as you can and flee!" Baki ordered, turning to the Genin.

"Grab Gaara and run. He's useless to us like this." He ordered them, Temari and Kankurou grabbing him and running off with him. Baki slashed at Naruto, only for Ichigo to intercept it and kick him back.

"Get after them! Don't let them escape!" Ichigo ordered as Kabuto hopped down there to even the odds. Naruto made a clean escape while he faced down Baki and Kabuto.

"So...I get to kill the one who injured Lord Orochimaru. This will be interesting." Kabuto commented smugly, but Kakashi and Gai lept down behind him.

"You're still needed to help get rid of those snakes. We'll take over here." Kakashi said.

"Thanks, Kakashi, Gai. I'm off." He thanked them as he blurred from sight, leaving the two Jounin to take the two on.

"Can't fight his own battles?" Kabuto taunted.

"No...It's more like he doesn't have time to deal with small fry like you right now." Kakashi replied as they got the fight started.

Up in the stands, Sasuke was wondering what went wrong, but decided to go with the plan as he attempted to grab the little girls, only for his hand to get sliced off by Hitomi in a eye blink and his legs shut down by Hinata faster than he could blink, combined with Shizune ensuring that he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. The Uchiha slumped to the ground, screaming in pain and clutching the stump where his hand once was as Jiraiya grabbed him by the throat.

"You little bastard...I had a hunch that our old friend Orochimaru had contacted you, but you decided to not only betray the village, but also try to kidnap my granddaughters. I make sure you suffer for this." The Sannin snarled angrily, slapping a stasis seal on him to keep him out for the duration of the fight. He then gathered the small girls and summoned a pair of toads.

"Whaddya want?" They asked.

"Take these four girls to Myobokuzan, where they will be safe. I'll summon you back when it's safe, okay?" Jiraiya instructed, turning to the girls.

"These two will protect you all, so please go with them. I'll bring you back as soon as this is all over." Jiraiya told them, the toads grabbing them and vanishing. He knew that they were two of Orochimaru's objectives, so sending them away where he couldn't possibly get to them was for the best. He couldn't have had better timing, either, since they saw a group of massive snakes smash their way through the walls.

"It's time for me to get to work." Jiraiya sighed as he summoned Gamahiro, hopping on the massive toad's head and rode into battle. Hitomi unsheathed her blade and turned to her daughter.

"Now is the time to reveal your true ablilities. Don't hold back and go help Naruto-kun." She instructed as she lept off in the same direction as Ichigo.

Ino had already been ordered to help the civilians to the shelters by her sensei, so she would be going it alone. That fact hadn't scared her in the least, as she immeadiately set out to find Naruto and back him up. Anyone who got in her way...She was ready to kill on sight. Hitomi turned to Hinata next.

"Hinata-chan...I need you to head to the shelters, rescuing anyone you see along the way. If you see Hiashi, run. Just run until you find either myself or Ichigo-kun." Hitomi ordered, the ex-Hyuuga girl nodding dutifully as she sped off.

Ichigo lept up to the very top of a nearby tower and summoned Shiranui herself.

_**"Ichigo-dono...I take it that the time has come to end that snake. Where is the girl?" **_The large wolf stated.

"She is safe...Jiraiya has the Toads protecting her in the Toad Domain. Now...Let's go end that snake, Lady Shiranui." Ichigo bellowed but before he could leave, Hitomi hopped up behind him.

"Ichigo-kun...Be careful..." She told him as they kissed.

"I know. I'll come back, but just make sure you do the same." Ichigo told her as he rode forth into battle along side Jiraiya and Gamahiro.

Hitomi began to cut down Suna and Oto nin herself, advancing toward the area with the snakes when she was halted by Baki, the Suna sensei and commander of Suna's forces.

"You seem to be a strong woman and beautiful as well. It would be a shame to kill you." Baki leered slightly, making Hitomi bristle with anger.

"No one...But my beloved can oogle me, you scum bag..." She snarled as he launched a wind blade.

She batted the jutsu aside easily using her Shinmeiryuu skills as she took up the stance. She then lunged in, but he was expecting to catch the blade with his reinforced armor...He couldn't have been more wrong. She had infused her blade with her chakra, giving it several times more cutting power as she cleanly hacked through the armor and lopped off his arm, causing him to scream and thrash in pain, clutching the stump of what used to be his arm as Kabuto managed to ditch Gai and Kakashi to see what happened.

_'Damn...Even Baki was defeated...This woman is strong, at least on my level.'_ The snake's right hand mused as he tried to subdue her, but she lashed out and nearly cleaved his head from his shoulders. This also gave Kakashi and Gai enough time to find him and re-engage him as she continued towards the civilian evac centers.

Ichigo and his summon were busy fighting the snakes near the hospital when he heard a scream from inside.

"My Lady...I need to get down there." He stated to his partner.

_**"Be careful, Ichigo-dono!"**_ Shiranui replied as she continued her offensive against the snakes while Ichigo slid down into the wreckage to find the source of the voice.

"Help me!" The voice called out again, letting him further zero in on the location of the trapped person.

There were Oto ninja inside looking for people to finish off and he spotted them trying to kill some of the medical staff that had gotten trapped. He was on top of them before they even knew he was there and dispatched them both quickly as he turned to face the staff. To his surprize, he saw Mikoto, the one he had a date with on his first day in Konoha, but she ditched him brutally when she found out that he was the _"Brother"_ of Naruto, and she was just as surprized to see him. He shook off any hard feelings he may have had and did his job.

"C'mon! This place is about to collapse!" He yelled out, making Kage Bunshin to carry them out to safety, just in time, too. The East Wing of the Hospital completely collapsed right after he got them out. His clones managed to get the rest of them to safety, but Mikoto was stuck with him as he had to leap up to Shiranui and continue the fight. After a few more moments, the massive wolf managed to chomp down on the snakes head and crush it, killing it almost instantly as it's fangs scraped against the wolf's armor in a desperate last attack.

There was still a third snake out there and it was currently trying to hide, having sensed that it's brothers had already fallen in combat. It then sensed another presense and peeked out to see Hitomi running along the rooftops at a rapid clip. It was now revealing itself for the prospect of an easy meal, but she managed to dodge the massive snake in time.

"Dammit...This is the last thing I need." She growled as she prepared for a rough fight, the snake rearing for another strike. She flipped to the side again to dodge, but the snake's tail lashed out at her and caught her squarely in the ribs, cracking a few.

"Damn..." She groaned in pain, using her blade to remain standing as the snake reared again, this time going for the kill.

"NO!" Ichigo bellowed as he and his summon tried to reach her, but would not make it in time as they could only watch as the snake bore down in his fiancee...Only to hear her battlecry.

_**SHINMEIRYUU OUGI : RYUHAZAN!**_

The snake seemed to freeze in that exact moment in time. Then, the snake's head cleanly split into halves in a shower of blood to reveal a haggard Hitomi breathing hard from using the technique. Ichigo wasted no time getting down there, leaving Mikoto atop of Shiranui, and gently carrying her atop of his mount and bounded away, Jiraiya and Gamahiro right behind him to drop off the people they rescued and head back into the fight.

As he hopped down, he gently handed Hitomi over to Rin for medical treatment.

"You did great down there..." He told her gently as he kissed her.

"Flatterer...You still have a job to do, you lazy bum." She quipped back, chuckling as much as her abused ribs would allow her, much to Mikoto's ire.

The young nurse was jealous. Ichigo and Naruto were becoming heroes within the village and she had cruelly swept him aside due to her short-sightedness. As soon as he left again alongside Jiraiya, she stormed over to the stricken woman with a scowl.

"What is he to you?" She demanded, even Rin scowling at the woman while she treated Hitomi's injuries.

"He's my fiancee...That's who." The swordswoman replied in a tone that could chill one to the bone, her green eyes now like frozen jade.

"He dated me first, you know. I can take him back if I want to. He is mine." Mikoto declared snootily, but a naked blade caressed her throat.

"I don't think so. I was told about you by Rin-chan, but I'll tell you here and now. We are happy together and if you try _anything_ to fuck it up, I'll rip your heart out and make you eat it." Hitomi snarled, her Ki blazing. Mikoto, being a civilian with no ninja training, could only cower in fear as she ran off like death itself was chasing her.

"Bitch..." Hitomi bit out as Rin continued treating her so she could get back out there.

_**KIKIYO TOWER**_

With Sarutobi and Tsunade, they were facing off against Orochimaru and his two remaining guards, Tayuya and Kidoumaru. The two were very hesitant about holding off Tsunade since she was legendary for a damn good reason, but all time to reflect had passed as the furious blond woman came hurtling at them at speeds they could barely see and nearly tore Tayuya's head off.

"Fuck! This bitch will kill us if she connects!" She panicked, reaching for her flute to summon her Doki to fight while Kidoumaru held her attention, and getting the crap beaten out of him. She managed to finish off the spider-like nin by snapping his neck with her vice-like grip just in time to see the trio of monsters bearing down on her. She dodged the blows of the first two and then caught the club of the third, ripping it away and smashing the orge in one swift movement, it's head exploding like a melon.

"Shit...One down..." Tayuta muttered, her heartbeat becoming erratic with mortal terror.

Tsunade proceeded to use her newly aquired weapon to lay waste to the remaining Doki, crushing them into barely recognizable pulp. Their corpses vanished, her new club along with it as she turned to the summoner, rage highly visible in her eyes. The redhead barely managed to dodge the first swipe, but Tsunade snagged the girl out of the air by her neck and spiked her into the roof they were standing on, breaking several of her vertebrae and leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. She then took Tayuya's flute, crushed it into a ball of steel and chucked it over her shoulder as she left to assist Sarutobi in his fight against Orochimaru.

Orochimaru himself wasn't fairing very well against an equally skilled opponent, especially one that knew how he ticked. Add to that Tsunade finishing off what remained of his elite guard, Kabuto was nowhere to be seen and his forces were being slaughtered, he was in a world of trouble.

"Give up, Orochimaru...You can't win." Sarutobi demanded, his Adamantine Staff brandished and ready to strike the rouge Sannin down.

"Me? Give up to weak fools like you?" Orochimaru sneered then laughed madly, his body shape beginning to shift.

His body began to change, his outward appearance now matching his dark and twisted soul as Sarutobi and Tsunade looked on in abject horror at what Orochimaru had done to himself in the name of power and immortality.

_**"Ha ha ha! Look upon me and despair!"**_ The now in-human Sannin cackled madly with laughter. He now looked like a giant and grotesque white serpent, towering above them and looking down hungrily.

"So...This is what you've been up to. I should have killed you, out of mercy." Sarutobi replied, now resolved to kill his former student.

"Heh...Now you match your personality, snake-face." Tsunade taunted.

_**"It matters not...As long as you die here today, I don't care how many die! I will realize my dream and rule over all with the Sharingan!"**_ Orochimaru again roared with insane laughter until a giant katana nearly lopped his head off.

"I agree with Hime, Snake-face. I should have killed you years ago." Jiraiya called out from atop Gamahiro. He lept down to the roof top to face his demented former teammate.

"Also...I wouldn't count on gaining that Uchiha brat anytime soon nor the girls." Jiraiya added to further rattle Orochimaru's cage.

_**"What do you mean, dobe?"**_ He sneered, still using that old insult.

"He's missing his hands and sitting in the Toad domain, being held for treason, the girls are under their protection." Jiraiya answered with a smug grin. The evil snake's face was twisted in a rictus of complete and blinding rage.

_**"Nooo! I won't go empty handed! I'll kill you all!" **_The mad Sannin screamed in outrage as he bore down on them like lightning, but was intercepted by Shiranui, who had clamped her mighty jaws around his neck and left him a mangled, bleeding mess.

_**"I refuse to allow you to live. Your very existance is a blight to the world and all who live within it. This is for all of the people people in Tsukigakure and everyone else you sacrificed for your selfish goals, you monster!"**_ The Wolf Goddess roared in fury as she bit down again to finish him off, but she clamped down on a shedded skin.

The serpent slithered away, grievously injured, but alive.

_**"This isn't over! I always get what I want in the end!"**_ Orochimaru hissed as he sunk into the ground and got away.

"Dammit! We were so close!" Ichigo yelled in frustration.

"I know...But the girls are safe from him and the Uchiha has been caught red handed." Jiraiya told him.

"What did he do?" Ichigo asked.

"Apparently, he was ordered to kidnap the girls by Orochimaru as payment for more power." Jiraiya replied, but started to regret it.

"That little bastard! Those girls are my whole life!" Ichigo snarled as he was about to go down there and kill every Suna and Oto ninja he came across until he found his target, but Jiraiya stopped him.

"Ma and Pa Toad have him under so many stasis seals, it would take an act of Kami to get him loose without them not to mention your lovely wife to be lopped off his hand, so don't worry. That brat will get his." Jiraiya assured the young father who was now calming down. Jiraiya then summoned the girls back, thanks to Gamakichi and Gamatatsu.

_**"Yo! These girls are pretty fun to play with! I hope Bro calls us a little more often!"**_ Kichi stated, giving his new human friends a wink as he and his portly brother poofed away again, the girls running up to embrace their father.

"You're safe...Thank God..." He murmured, picking them up and leaping atop of Shiranui once again.

_**"Hello, little ones."**_ She greeted the children kindly.

"You're Fuyuno-chan's mama!" Setsuna exclaimed, making the mighty wolf chuckle.

_**"Yes...I am her mother, small one. Now...I will take you to a safe place now that Orochimaru is gone. Are you ready to go, Ichigo-dono?" **_ She asked her summoner, who nodded. She then turned and bounded off for the shelters, leaving behind a stunned Tsunade.

"That...Who was that?" She asked. She could have sworn she saw Minato just now.

"That will come after this whole mess is cleared up." Sarutobi assured her as Jiraiya took Moegi and Hanabi atop Gamahiro and took them to the shelters as well.

_**KONOHA STREETS WITH HINATA**_

Hinata sped through the streets while taking down any hostile ninja she could take by surprize while managing to rescue a few civilians and a Jounin from begin struck down. The Jounin managed to stand up shakily, taking in the small girl who saved his life.

"Thank you. That bastard got the drop on us as a few Chuunin and myself were escorting these civilians to the shelters. My Chuunin were killed and I was barely holding him off until you came." He told her as they teamed up to get the civilians to safety.

They were almost at the shelters when they were attacked again, only this time it was by a Konoha Shinobi...A Hyuuga. The man suddenly appeared before them and lunged at Hinata, but the Jounin jumped in and made him back off.

"What the hell are you doing?!" The Jounin demanded, but the slient Hyuuga simply sped in under his guard and nailed him with a death strike to his heart, killing him instantly.

"Hinata. I have orders to bring you before Hiashi-sama for punishment." The Hyuuga intoned.

"No...I will NEVER go back to that monster! And besides, i still have my duty as a Konoha Shinobi to do!" Hinata countered hotly. Her attacker frowned, then killed the civilians she was escorting.

"There. Now come with me willingly, or will use force." He sneered as he attempted to grab her arm. She smirked

_**RAITON : RAISEN!**_

She channelled her jutsu into her coat as she had done before, only this time she wasn't aiming to stun. She clamped down in his wrist to keep him from pulling away and soon she was able to see smoke coming from him. As soon as his clothes and hair caught fire, she released him and caught her breath.

"Bastard..." She growled, leaping up to the rooftops to head for the shelters, deciding to go there in case Hiashi himself was coming for her next.

_**KONOHA BORDER**_

Naruto had been in hot pursuit of Gaara and his siblings for close to an hour with no signs of tiring, making them desperate to escape. Kankuro slipped back to hold him off, but ended up being overwhelmed by Kage Bunshin who were each much stronger than him and was beaten silly while the real Naruto kept up his pursuit, Sakura trailing behind but closing in steadily. She had already scored her first kills on the Wave Mission, so she had already hardened herself to slaying any enemy nin she encountered with her recently unsheathed blade, Yunagi. Whenever she held it, she felt...Powerful. Like she could move mountains with enough effort. The sword itself was just a blade, special, but not that special. For her, it was a confidence booster, knowing that her ancestor once wielded that blade righteously gave her faith and courage to do the same, no matter the odds.

Temari had sent Gaara on ahead as she tried to hold Naruto off, but she managed to miss him altogether and ran right smack into Sakura. She looked at the younger kunoichi with barely restrained comtempt for not only for her loss in the pre-lims, but the loss of her mother's precious fan and embarrassing her in front of the male she intended to claim.

"It's too bad about that blond cutie. Gaara's going to kill him and I'll kill you." Temari growled.

"Try it, skank. Your little invasion put my family in danger! When I'm done with you, they'll bury you in a fucking match box!" Sakura returned greater venom as she disrupted an opening wind blast from Temari's replacement fan by simply slicing through it with a Hiken, making the Suna girl's eyes go wide.

"How..." She gasped as Sakura closed the distance and tried to use the same tactics as before, but now Sakura had a much longer reach, scoring several slashes and drawing a lot of blood.

"I am not the weak little girl I used to be. Move, and I'll lop your head off." She snarled, knotting her with the pommel of the sword and knocking her out.

Back with Naruto, he had finally caught up with Gaara and hit him in the back with a Suiton jutsu to slow him down, but it only seemed to antagonize him more.

_**"YES...MAKE ME FEEL ALIVE, UZUMAKI!"**_ Shukaku/Gaara screamed with insane delight as it sent out countless spears of sand to impale him.

Naruto twisted and dodged for all he was worth, constantly using the trees in the forest for cover while trying to use his clones to probe his defenses. He fired off a few water jutsu in another attempt to slow him down, but the sand was now absorbing the water, Gaara looking even monstrous than before as Shukaku's hold got stronger. As Naruto took cover behind a thick tree, Sakura had caught up to him and slashed at the monster. The sand would normally block such an attack, but her Shinmeiryuu skills had her channeling chakra into the blade and allowed her to cleave through his defenses with ease.

_**"GAAAAAHHHHH! I'M BLEEDING MY OWN BLOOD! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BITCH!"**_ Gaara screamed as he launched a sand attack that nailed her squarely in the chest. It penetrated the skin and left a nasty, bleeding wound that looked life threatening.

"SAKURA!" Naruto bellowed as he saw her go down in a spray of blood. He raced over to her and pulled her to safety before Gaara could finish her off.

"Sakura...Sakura!" Naruto cried, trying to revive her, but she was out, her life hanging by a thread.

_**"Naru-chan...Shukaku is coming...That seal can't hold him back any longer."**_ Kyuu warned her host, sensing the massive surge of Bijuu chakra. True to her words, Gaara was ready to do just that.

_**Tanuki Neiri Jutsu!**_

With that jutsu, Gaara's seal lost all power to restrain the demon within him, letting the Ichibi Bijuu completely free to rampage and kill to it's dark heart's content.

_**"WHEEE! I'M FREE AT LAST! NOW...I'LL TEAR YOU APART UNTIL KYUU-CHAN IS ALL MINE!"**_ Shukaku screamed with glee.

_**"That arrogant bastard...Take him down, Naru-chan!"**_ Kyuu nearly demanded of her host, Naruto only too happy to comply.

"If Sakura-chan dies...Everyone from Suna and Oto will die...I swear it..." Naruto vowed as he pulled out all the stops and summoned Gamabunta, the Toad Boss appearing under the two of them.

_**"Oi gaki...What do you want?" **_Bunta croaked out.

"I need your help beating that thing so I can get Sakura-chan to the hospital!" Naruto yelled desperately. Bunta could smell the blood from the girl and knew she didn't have long left. Bunta then called another toad to his side.

_**"Hey...Take the gaki's girlfriend to Ma and Pa. They can heal her. Got it?" **_Bunta ordered.

_**"Got it, boss!"**_ The small toad saluted and took the critically wounded girl with him to safety.

"Thanks, Boss...Now, we can kick that bastard squirrel's ass!" Naruto yelled as Bunta whipped out his tanto and lunged at the Bijuu.

The blade sunk into Shukaku, but got stuck halfway. The massive toad tried to pull it out, but the sand had a death grip on it and it was trying to snre him too, so he had to let it go and back off.

_**"Hey gaki...Did the vessel fall asleep?" **_Bunta asked, dreading the answer.

"Yeah, he did! How'd you know?" Naruto asked.

"When he did that, he gave the demon full control and full power!" Bunta yelled as he dodged another sand spike, Shukaku gearing up for a jutsu while Bunta was in mid air.

_**FUUTON : RENKUUDAN!**_

_**SUITON : TEPPOUDAMA!**_

The jutsu clashed in a massive explosion, giving Bunta a chance to back off and think of something else.

_**"Damn...He's tough. Gaki, you know any fire jutsu?" **_Bunta asked, thinking of trying something he and Jiraiya would use.

"Only one...The teme's Goukyakuu. Why?" Naruto answered.

_**"That's good enough! Now, get ready to use it after I spit my oil!"**_ Bunta commanded, his cheeks now swelling with the highly flammable liquid. As he spit the oil out, Naruto flipped through the handseals for the jutsu.

_**KATON : GAMAYUU ENDAN!**_

The flames combined with the massive stream of volitile oil, resulting in a stream of hellfire that turned the trees it hit to ashes on contact. Shukaku saw the wall of hellish flames racing toward it, but could do little about it as the searing flames consumed it. A literal cloud of fire reigned for a brief few moment, but after they died down, the sand that the creature was composed of became a glassy coffin that trapped the now helpless Bijuu within.

_**"Go wake up that host and Shukaku will disappear!" **_Bunta hollared as he got Naruto close enough to do the job.

The glassy surface was very difficult to cling to, but he managed to do it. He had nothing in his arsenal that could punch through the thick glass, but Kyuu had a solution.

_**"Naru-chan...Focus my chakra into your fist."**_ She requested as he did as she asked.

The potent chakra was gathering into his fist, then she told him to punch the surface, releasing the chakra at the exact moment of impact using the newly honed control he had over her chakra. He punched with everything he had. The resulting explosion smashed it's way through the thick glassy surface and slugged Gaara hard in the jaw, nearly breaking his face in half. It was enough to jar Gaara awake and yank Shukaku back inside it's seal.

_**"NOOOO! I WANNA PLAY SOME MORE! I NEVER GOT TO MATE WITH KYUU-CHAN!"**_ The massive sand demon wailed as it's body crumbled at disappeared, leaving it's vessel to plummet to the ground.

Gaara hit the forest ground hard, further damaging him by snapping his shoulder, Naruto dismissing Bunta and leaping down next to him. He didn't look too happy.

"N-no...Stay away from me..." Gaara wimpered as he tried to drag himself away, but his injured arm gave out.

"I'm not really any different from you, you know...I'm a vessel, too." Naruto called out.

"Then why...WHY ARE YOU SO DIFFERENT?! HOW CAN YOU BE SO HAPPY WITH YOUR LIFE?!" Gaara pleaded.

"I never gave up on being human. I was beaten, abused, ignored...and even raped once. But I never gave in...And I was rewarded for it. Rewarded for my patience with people who love me. I can tell that something similar happened to you, but quit being such a GODDAMN BABY!" Naruto bellowed at the top of his lungs.

"Then...Why were so much stronger than me?" Gaara asked quietly.

"Because of the ones I love, my family, my sisters...I fight with everything I have to protect them...Especially Sakura-chan..." Naruto replied, reverently silent at the end, causing Gaara to think seriously on this new lease on life he was given.

"I see...You have given me a new approach to life to think about...Thank you, Uzumaki." Gaara thanked him sincerely as Temari and Kankuro, both looking very beat up, landed next to him and expected a fight.

"Just...Take him and go. I didn't see anything." Naruto sighed as the siblings hefted him up and lept away.

"Temari...Kankuro..." Gaara called out in a whisper like voice.

"Yeah?" His elder brother asked.

"Can we...be a family again? Like we used to?" Gaara asked, shocking the both of them. Not wanting to slap down the hand he reached out to them with, they replied.

"Of course...We can be the family father wouldn't allow us to be." Temari replied, earning the first true smile Gaara has shown since he was a small child.

"Thank you..." He sighed with relief, making their way back to Suna as Naruto called Gamariki back with Sakura.

_**"Sup, bro! Ma and Pa patched her up pretty good, so she'll be okay! Ja ne!"**_ The small toad croaked as he went back to Myoubokuzan, leaving him to pick her up carefully and bring her back towards the village, only hoping that things had calmed down as he headed for the shelters.

_**AT THE SHELTERS...**_

A great deal of trembling drew the guards out of the shelter, but there were greeted by the sight of a massive wolf, being ridden by Ichigo and two small girls. Off to the side, they saw Jiraiya atop ne of his massive Toads, another two children with him, the two men delivering the children to safety.

"Papa? I wanna go with you!" Setsuna pleaded, Kana adding her own two cents in.

"We want to fight with you!" The green haired girl added, making him chuckle.

"Listen...I have another mission for you two. Protect the shelters and your mother until I return, okay?" Ichigo asked of them, their eyes gaining a bright gleam in them.

"Yeah! Come on, Se-chan, Nabi-chan, Moe-chan!" Kana chirped as her sister, friends, and herself bounded off to see the woman the two small jinchuuriki acknowledged as their mother.

"You know...Tsunade's going to have a world of questions for you and she won't stop until you answer them." Jiraiya mentioned.

"Yeah... I've got a few of my own for her, too." Ichigo replied as they headed back into the city to further aid in ridding their home of invaders.

Just after they left, Naruto arrived into time to see them leave, bringing Sakura inside to recieve treatment when Hitomi, who was now well enough to at least get around, saw them and sped over to her daughter's side.

"What happened to her?" She asked as calmly as she could, Naruto filling her in on the details.

"So...She was able to severely injure that Suna kid, Gaara? I'm very proud of her." Hitomi replied softly, but Naruto had some questions for her.

"Hey, um...Where did she learn to use a sword like that?" Naruto inquired, puzzled by her new and very deadly skill set.

"That...I will tell you later, Naruto-chan. After all of this is over." She answered him cryptically as they continued to keep watch over the shelters.

_A/N: Whew...It's been a year since I last updated this one...But this chapter's a doozy! I wanted to cover the entire Third Exam in one go. Also...I promised an Omake of those too cute youngun's so I will deliver that right..._

_NOW! Omake...START!_

We find ourselves at the Academy exactly two weeks before the start of the Chuunin Exam finals, Iruka's classroom to be exact. Here we find our four little munchkins chattering away during their free study period. Normally, the topics of their discussions were about normal little girl things, like how they ribbed Hanabi about her little crush on Naruto or Moegi about hers on Konohamaru. However, this time it was very different. You see, while their Grandpa Jiraiya was napping on the couch, Setsuna managed to snag one of the books he always bragged about writing. She had also seen these books under Naruto-nii's bed and hidden in Papa Ichigo's pillowcase. She decided to see what the big deal was and was...educated on what the sounds she heard coming from his room meant, which Hokuou confirmed under a huge amount of embarrassment.

However, that wasn't what she was interested in. She and Kana wanted to find a way to cheer on their Nii-chan during his match and that happened to be what the female lead in the book did. She was called a Cheerleader and her job was to cheer people on, so that was exactly what she'd do, but a few things needed to be done first. First, she would get Konohamaru to teach her that Sexy Jutsu Naruto-nii taught him to do. Next, she and her three cohorts needed to find a place to practice in secret, so that meant in the backyard at night or at Moegi's place, since her grandmother would chalk it up to youthful games. After they all got the jutsu down, they memorized what the costumes looked like down to the last detail and even worked out a little dance routine.

"Naruto-niichan's gonna love this!" The smallest jinchuuriki giggled, her sister and friends agreeing with her.

Aren't children so innocent?


End file.
